Dark Jedi: Episode VIII and IX
by JP Fanfic
Summary: This fan fiction Episode VIII and IX was written Feb. 2016. I intentionally avoided reading any fan theories as I was writing it, so I hope this is fresh and unpredictable for most readers. I hope you enjoy.
1. Episode VIII: 1 Opening Crawl

**I have included both Episode VIII and Episode IX in this document since they are two parts of the same novel. When I wrote this novel, I intentionally avoided reading all fan theories, so I hope this is a fresh and unpredictable story for you. Thanks for reading.**

 **Written Feb. 2016. Every attempt was made to be true to Star Wars Disney-sanctioned media up to this date.**

 **A comment on Star Wars Disney-sanctioned media: there was a rumor in Jan 2016 that Maz Kanata was going to be a Force-user. That secret scene had not been revealed at the completion of writing this story. So for the purposes of the narrative, Maz Kanata is not a Force-user.**

 **I am reformatting this novella, and as most of my chapters in the doc manager have expired, I am reuploading some chapters, and breaking up others. This is also giving me a chance to update the narrative with a few new details and clean up some grammar here and there.**

 **Below is the opening crawl for Episode VIII Rise of the Dark Jedi**

* * *

Star Wars

Episode VIII  
Rise of the Dark Jedi

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . .

Star

Wars

Episode VIII

RISE OF THE DARK JEDI

The galaxy is in chaos. After the destruction of the Hosnian system and the REPUBLICAN SENATE, many seek to gain control of the galaxy in the absence of any ruling government. As Kylo Ren and his KNIGHTS OF REN use fear to acquire the loyalty of many systems, General Leia Organa scrambles to convince any free systems to join the RESISTANCE, the last hope against the FIRST ORDER. She and a small delegation travel to the aquatic planet of Kamino in an attempt to convince their prime minister to offer support . . .


	2. Episode VIII: 2 Kamino

Chapter 1

A Lambda-class shuttle exited hyperspace and entered orbit around the large blue Kamino planet, its blue glow reflecting eerily off the shuttle's dead gray armor. The shuttle was followed shortly by six modified A-Wings and a CR100 Corvette. Its eight exhausts flickered from a hot blue color down to a dull red.

Leia Organa, general of the Resistance, aboard the shuttle, radioed the corvette, "Anything on your sensors?" Her voice was calm and controlled, knowing fear and how to master it.

"Just running a scan now," replied the captain. "Looks clear, General."

"Thank you, captain. We will begin our descent. Keep a lookout for anything suspicious, and radio at the first sign."

"Yes, General," the flight captain replied.

Leia took her seat behind the pilot and flight officer, who performed their duties in the regular fashion, not even thinking of all the possible outcomes of a mission. They followed Leia's orders and trusted her completely. Finn sat to her right equipped with a small side arm and chest armor. He thumbed the dorsal edge of his cold blaster anxiously.

"Do you expect trouble?" Finn asked.

"That is always a concern," she replied.

"Do you think eight troops and four guards are enough?" Finn replied looking behind them into the passenger cabin and scratched his clean shaven face.

"Any more and we might make their prime minister, Lukaro, uneasy. This is not a military operation, but a diplomatic mission. And if we have a problem, Captain Burke will be there to offer help. In the meantime, you simply need to ensure the docking pad and shuttle remain secure, Captain Finn," she said, hoping that by reminding him of his earned position she may give him some courage.

Finn still thumbed his blaster and looked down.

"Listen," Leia said to him. "With all the battles we have seen in the last six months, many people have been promoted as quickly as you. But that doesn't mean you aren't qualified, or I wouldn't have requested you for this mission."

Finn half-smiled and settled into his seat.

The clouded atmosphere was thick and settled low to the surface, blanketing the planet in a nebulous gray sheet. The shuttle shook irregularly in the turbulence as it descended through the clouds. A blaster dropped to the shuttle deck as a soldier gripped his seat. Once beneath, there were only a few hundred yards between the undulating waters and the clouds. However, not far ahead was Kamino city; thousands of elegant raised lily pad-like structures extending out in fractal patterns and rising upward into the clouded sky so that one could not see the tops of its spires. This was not the small cloning facility of Tipoca City (its old capital) but a new grand capital that was established after the Clone Wars; war profits having made the Kamino's familiar with opulence.

"We have been directed to Platform 3309," said the flight officer. "Just a few minutes more, General."

Leia looked, not at the city but toward the sky. "Thank you."

The shuttle gently came to rest on the platform, and its bay door opened. The platform was large enough to easily fit a ship three times the size of the shuttle. Leia exited first, her steps firm and her posture erect; followed by her four guards and then Finn, his eyes darting around the platform and his hands on a blaster. The soldiers followed, in step with each other. The wind blew into their ears, announcing the coming rain.

Kamino's prime minister, Lukaro, dressed in slender red robes and a high elliptical collar, approached the delegation. He was followed by four clone guards of his own, two olive-skinned female clones with striking green eyes, and two pale-skinned male clones. They were armored but did not wear helmets. Lukaro's long neck and white skin were as elegant as the city he had helped to found. He examined the soldiers behind Leia intently.

"Welcome to Kamino, General Organa. It is our great pleasure to receive you here," he started.

"It is an honor to meet with you, Right and Honorable Lukaro. I hope over these next few days that we can come to be great friends and allies," Leia replied as she bowed, but looked up with her eyes.

"That is my hope too. But it is interesting that you have brought troops to our friendly negotiations." His clone guards standing behind him made sure to ready their weapons while maintaining a relaxed posture; attempting to hide the aggressive action, with a passive demeanor. Leia eyed their weapons and offered a silver smile to Lukaro.

"These are not the times to be vulnerable, as you well know. Our galaxies are not safe anymore." Leia said.

"That I understand well, so you will also understand that I cannot allow your soldiers to enter my city. They may remain in the landing sector. But we would be glad to accommodate them in some of the landing sector housing units for the duration of your stay."

"I am very grateful," Leia replied. She turned to Finn. "Did you hear that, Captain Finn?"

"Yes, General," he said, watching the guards intently, then making arrangements for a continuous watch to guard the shuttle and the landing platform.

With that settled, the prime minister escorted Leia and her guards through the interior of the landing sector and into the city. Their own clone guards went before and behind them. Their booted footsteps echoed through the sterile hallways. Leia's tense lips were the only indication that she was on edge.

"We have made many advancements in recent years. Our capital city is truly a marvel," Lukaro boasted. He was not exaggerating. The city's interior was beautiful, boasting sloping white walls and smooth lines. The population had increased a hundredfold as well since the Clone Wars. Many Kaminoans wandered the halls, but also humans. What surprised Leia, or rather what she noticed, was most, if not all of the humans were clones-yet not the Jango Fett clones of the past. There was a variety of different clones, both male and female; but they were obviously clones, as there were many of each genetic line, creating a sense of deja vu as one traversed the sidewalks. The fact that there were so many clones made Leia acutely aware that she was the only one of her kind in this alien marvel of a city; it made her feel cold, like the white walls of the corridors. She folded her arms in front of her.

The Prime Minister led Leia and her guards through a grand common hall. Many people strode through the hall, focused on their destinations toward one of the many corridors leading into this massive room. Others were sitting at tables geometrically spiraled throughout the room, engaged in conversation and business.

….

One couple sitting at a table on the edge took interest in the diplomatic entourage. The first was a middle-aged woman dressed in a deep rusty red Mandalorian armor; her helmet rested on the table. Her hair was black, but with the subtle evidence of gray starting to emerge on the sides. She bit her lip and tapped her finger on the sleek ivory table, the anticipation emitting from her. Across from her was an impressive male Lasat, a humanoid species native to the Wild Space region. He was firmly built with a slight lavender skin color and a silver beard showing his age.

"That's them, Sabine," the Lasat said.

"Always with the obvious, Zeb," Sabine replied. She reached down and pressed open a compartment on her forearm armor. It opened to release a small insect-sized spider droid. It crawled quickly off her arm and raced after the group.

….

As they sojourned through the city, Lukaro continued, "Much of the progress has been due to the improvements we have made in our cloning techniques. We now can tailor our genetic lines to exactly what a client needs. It creates a more satisfied consumer and a more profitable industry. I hope to show you our facilities after you are settled in your residential quarters."

Leia commented, "The Resistance is more interested in your other resources such as deep sea mining and Drac harvesting. Although I feel that we can provide much in the way of protection for your system, our interests do not lie in cloning. To be sure the First Order will look to exploit your cloning industry in the long run."

"Ah, yes," Lukaro replied, his nictitating membranes flashed over his black eyes. "But let us wait on those discussions until tomorrow with the governing council." His countenance seemed distant when he said this, even for Kaminoans.

After a few more short and uneventful stops, Leia was led to her quarters.

….

Leia rubbed her temples as she sat in the sparsely furnished residential quarters. This mission was going to be more difficult than she thought, but she had never given up before. She was sure she could solidify a treaty with them. The question was whether or not she could do it before the First Order did. It was imperative that they secure the cloning industry for the Resistance, even if they would not utilize that resource. It was enough to keep a ready-made army out of the First Order's grasp.

The silence was broken by the blaring HoloNet transceiver. "General Organa." It was Captain Burke in the corvette.

Leia grabbed the transceiver and quipped, "Yes, Captain, what is it?"

"We have company. A star destroyer just exited hyperspace about a quarter orbit around the planet. They have launched TIEs and a command shuttle, and are descending now."

A million possibilities rushed through Leia's mind. She clenched her dry fists. Did the First Order know the Resistance was here to enlist aid? If so, how? Were we betrayed? Or were they here simply for the same reasons she was, with no knowledge of Resistance presence? In any event, the Order knew they were here now.

"Get down here!" Leia switched the transceiver and called Finn.

"Captain Finn."

"Yes, General." He replied.

"Get ready for action, TIEs and a shuttle may be coming your way. Hold the landing platform. I am coming now." She rushed toward the door to inform her guards waiting outside. They were in no position to face a star destroyer with a few A-Wings. They needed to evacuate.

The door slid open in front her with a slicing sound. A cloud of pink smoke fell into the room from the doorway. Its chemical smell went before it. Leia could see the legs and arms of her guards lying to each side of the door. Out of the pink mist, a figure entered the room; a woman in full Mandalorian armor. She took off her helmet.

"My name is Sabine Wren. I'm here to rescue you. Put this on."

She tossed Leia a breathing mask. A tiny spider droid sped across the room, up Sabine's leg and into a compartment on her wrist.


	3. Episode VIII: 3 The First Order Arrives

Finn was stationed on the platform with four of the soldiers when Leia contacted him. The wind and mist from the waves battered the Resistance contingent so they had to hold down their helmets with one hand. They were all counting the minutes until they could leave this wretched planet, Finn more than all of them.

After her order, Finn switched over the HoloNet transceiver. He commanded the flight officer and soldiers in temporary housing to return to the shuttle. Upon arrival, Finn had set up an alternating watch on the platform and had ordered four of their soldiers to rest in the landing sector housing while the remaining soldiers kept the first watch. Now he needed them back.

"Set up a perimeter and look to the sky. A squadron of TIEs and a First Order shuttle are coming," he shouted over the wind.

The howling of the TIE fighters could be heard above the wind and grew louder as they approached. Although soldiers could not see them, they readied their weapons quickly and aptly, the unnatural sound causing them to look to the sky. The clouded strata rested so lowly in the sky that when the eight TIE fighters descended through the clouds, they appeared directly above Finn's crew. The TIEs stormed the platform, hitting the shuttle hard with laser cannon fire. One of its upright wings broke in half and collapsed onto the body of the ship. Then the shuttle raising up to one side upon being hit again, tilted a moment to a forty-five-degree angle and back as the fuselage burst.

The four soldiers were lucky enough to escape the blast just in time and gathered around the landing bay door. The Upsilon-class command shuttle approached.

"There goes our escape, Sir," a soldier yelled, the wind and TIE engines almost drowning his voice.

"Let me worry about an escape. That's a command shuttle. Whoever comes off that ship cannot reach the general!" Finn clamored back. The remaining soldiers arrived through the door.

"Mara and Kochack," Finn quickly addressed two of the arriving soldiers. "Take the pilots and find a new landing bay. They can do nothing here. Radio me when you have one secured."

"Yes, sir," they replied and ran off with the flight officer and pilot.

The shuttle settled on the platform, the engines disturbing the wet platform and Resistance ship debris; its black durasteel form temporarily hidden in the fog it created. The squad readied themselves for the battle, checking their weapons and spreading out into position.

The shuttle door opened, and five armored persons descended the ramp: a cloaked man with an electrostaff; another cloaked woman with a heavy precision blaster strapped to her back; a lean, armored woman with a short staff-like weapon; a brute of a man with electro-knuckles; and a man with a hooded helmet and an impressive side arm.

The Resistance squad began firing, the red blasts streaking through the foggy mist, illuminating it into an unnatural glow; but the shots met instantly glowing red beams. Three of the five adversaries having revealed red lightsabers and began deflecting blasts. The cloaked man and the brute deflected with their staff and knuckles. Not a shot obtained its target. They advanced. If that was not bad enough, Phasma with four stormtroopers exited behind them, undeterred, confident, and completely safe; followed by Kylo Ren.

Phasma was Finn's old captain before he defected. Her stormtroopers began firing from behind the bristling wall of lightsabers, protected from any fire. A soldier next to Finn took a blaster round to the chest and collapsed, gasping out a final breath.

Finn, exasperation on his face shouted above the blaster fire, "We're no match for them here! Get to the landing corridor!"

….

Leia whipped her arm up, a blaster in her right hand, and caught the mask with her left. She saw what had happened to her guards outside the door as she could see their limp bodies in the dispersing pink smoke. "You must think I'm crazy if you think I'll believe you're here to rescue me," she addressed the intruder.

"Listen, there isn't much time," Sabine snapped. "The Kaminoans have sold you out. The First Order arrived here days ago and has already made a deal with them. This all was a setup. They are already here!"

Zeb, wearing a mask, looked in the door. "We don't have time for this. We've got to go! Either she comes, or I carry her."

A laser blast zipped past the doorway.

"Oh, great, it looks like one of the Kylo Ren's men!" Zeb yelled and wildly fired a few blasts in retaliation.

"What!" Leia dropped her arm and threw on the mask, running into the smoke. Looking around the corner was another man dressed in green Mandalorian armor, darkly visible at the end of the hall. "Seems to be the fashion around here!"

He discharged another round. The wall reflected the blast inches from her head, sparks burning her cheek. Without thinking, she fired back a series of quick shots, used to following her instincts. A flash of red light danced at the end of the hall, glowing in the pink mist; the figure made a shadow behind it. It was a familiar dance, the dance of a lightsaber. Whoever that man was he was trained in the way of the Force: the dark side.

Leia looked at Sabine, "OK! Where are we going?"

"Follow me!" Sabine answered.

Zeb ran backward down the pristine hallway, trying to slow the assailant with rifle blasts, but none hit their targets. Either he missed, or they were deflected. Unfortunately, the Mandalorian was gaining. They ran through multiple rooms designated for the living quarters: lounging rooms, bath and spa rooms. Every room they ran through, attendants stood with surprise then ducked down as blaster fire filled the room.

"We've got to close one of these doors and lock it, or this is going to be a short mission!" Zeb shouted.

"I've got a better idea," Sabine countered. She grabbed two hand-held explosives from her belt. "You remember which path up ahead leads to our ship?"

"Yeah," Zeb answered, still firing desperately; losing hope in his ability to hit a target.

"Cause it's going to get pretty foggy."

They entered into another large common room full of Kaminoans and clones. It appeared to be a dining hall of some sort with at least a dozen corridors feeding into it. Sabine tossed the two explosives above her, and they attached to the ceiling. Grabbing two more, she quickly tossed them behind her on the smooth walls. Then she dropped two more on the floor. The two explosives on the roof exploded, causing a pink and yellow smoke from each explosive to fall from the roof. Each of the following erupted in blue, pink, green, and purple smoke. Soon, the whole room was thick with a purplish gray smoke. People began collapsing all throughout the room.

"Your smoke bombs won't stop him with that helmet," Zeb shouted out.

"Yeah, but we can blind him," Sabine said having pride in her plan.

The pursuer's red light saber was dimly visible as he entered the room. Sabine grabbed Leia's arm and pulled her to a corridor to the right. Zeb quit shooting and followed. They could hear the frustrated curses of the Mandalorian-clad knight behind them.

"That'll give us some time," Sabine said and smiled under her helmet.

Leia's transceiver alerted. It was Finn. "General Organa, do not go back to Platform 3309. It's been taken. Kylo Ren and his men are here. We are finding another platform for Captain Burke to pick us up."

"Don't worry about me. You get your men out of here. I'll manage my own escape," she said.

….

Finn and his men ran to the corridor. Another soldier screamed out with a deadly shrill as he was shot in the back and fell like a sack to the ground.

Kylo Ren looked to Phasma. "Follow them."

"Yes, sir," she responded and took her troopers to follow.

Kylo Ren then raised his communicator. "Jax, where is General Organa?"

"I'm afraid she has some help we hadn't planned for. She was accompanied by a Mandalorian and a Lasat-an ugly one too," the man who had been chasing after Leia responded.

"Don't give me excuses. You were left behind to avoid this! Do you know where she is?"

"Uh, give me a moment. I'm tapping into Kamino security right now and will find them

any . . . ah, here it is, they are heading for platform 2189."

"Good, stop them from leaving. We are coming now." Kylo Ren put away the communicator and coldly turned to his knights. "Lura, follow Phasma and cleanup if you need to."

The cloaked woman with the heavy blaster ran off to chase Phasma's squad.

"The rest of you are all coming with me." Kylo Ren ordered.

….

Finn was down to four soldiers and himself. They were now running through a gently curving corridor with blaster fire at their heels. Every fifty yards there was another landing platform, but no sign of Mara, Kochack, or the pilots. Another blaster round ripped past him hitting one of the soldiers in the head. Now it was down to him and three others.

"We need some breathing room!" he yelled as he fired at one of the door controls they approached. Hitting his target precisely, the blast door slid down.

"Hurry," he called to the soldiers. The first one ran through, the second ducked his head, the third bent over. Finn, a few steps behind, leapt and rolled under as the door sealed behind him.

"That won't stop them, but gives us time."

They continued down the corridor and after a few more platforms until Finn found the soldiers with the flight officer and pilot. The platform was empty except for a few maintenance ports to either side.

Finn ordered the flight officer to contact Captain Burke and arrange for a pickup.

"Cover that corridor," he commanded.

The five soldiers, two pilots, and Finn took cover at each maintenance port and aimed at the exit. They huffed and caught their breath in the brief moment. It was not long, however, before the contingent came to the door and used its side walls as cover. An initial volley of shots was fired from both sides; largely ineffective by both parties.

Lura stepped out into the open, raised her rifle, and fired two shots, aiming at targets forty yards away. One hit Mara's hand that was just outside of the port, destroying her hand and the blaster it held. She screamed out and clenched her arm to her chest. The other struck a firing soldier in the forehead, piercing his helmet and dropping him. Both were with Finn. The flight officer and pilot, also with Finn, slunk down, grasping their pistols but fearing to use them.

Lura changed the settings on her rifle, while Phasma and the stormtroopers laid down cover. Kochack and the other two soldiers fiercely returned fire. Lura looked down the barrel of her precision rifle, a calm sense of purpose taking her, she took a controlled breath, and with unblinking eyes aimed at the far maintenance port. She pulled the trigger with the effort of an uncaring executioner. The rifle kicked back into her faceplate, but she was unphased. It appeared that she missed, hitting only the port itself, but a well-hidden Resistance soldier fell over dead. She had shot him through the barrier.

Phasma then stepped out, as the troopers fanned to each side. Finn leveled his aim on Lura. Firing a blaster was the one thing he had confidence in, being the top of his class as a sharpshooter. If nothing else, he could hit a target, but it was not to be today; he caught a blast in his shoulder from Phasma's rifle. He dropped his gun in pain and watched as Lura gunned down the remaining two soldiers behind the opposite port. Finn, Mara, and the pilots were all that was left. All firing stopped.

"It's over! Drop your weapons and come out!" Phasma called in a triumphant boast.

Finn stepped slowly with his arms half raised. Mara and the pilot's followed. Six weapons focused on them.

"Down on your knees!" Phasma shouted, the mist dripping off her silver armor. The four fell down to their knees, with hands on their heads.

"So, Traitor FN-2187," she ridiculed.

Finn mumbled something under his breath through gritted his teeth.

"What was that, FN-2187?"

He spoke in a steady voice, "My name is Finn."

"Say that louder!" she shouted.

"My name is Finn!"

Phasma raised her blaster and shot the flight officer in the chest. He crumpled to the wet floor. "That is not how you address your superior officer. My name is Finn, what?"

"My name is Finn, Captain!"

Her voice calmed. "That's better, FN-2187."

She drew closer to him, "How does it feel to be giving orders?"

Finn remained silent. Phasma shot the other pilot dead.

"Give me an answer, traitor! How does it feel to be giving orders?"

He looked at all the dead men and women under his command. "It does not feel good, Captain!" He shouted, drips of sweat, mist, and tears falling from his face.

"I bet it doesn't. You had such potential, but you know that. It's obvious now: you were bred to take orders and trained to do just that. So tell me, how did we end up here? Where did you get this idea that you could be something else, other than the First Order?"

"I will not kill the innocent, Captain!" He shouted, anger dripping from him.

Though she was wearing a helmet, Finn could tell that she half-smiled at his answer. "Ah, but don't you see? You have killed your entire squad. You have tried to be something you are not meant to be, and their deaths are your fault." She raised her blaster and aimed it at Mara's head.

"Don't," Finn implored. Mara's eyes were wide and frightened.

"Don't, what!" she barked.

"Don't kill her, Captain."

"Again with the giving orders." She fired her weapon and Mara fell back lifeless. "You really don't know what you are, do you?"

She turned to the stormtroopers with her, "You are no longer needed here. Go back and secure the shuttle." They turned and left. Lura remained beside her silent.

"Do you know what you are, FN-2187?" she said in a low voice. She had waited till the troopers were well gone.

With no one left to protect but his own life, Finn had more confidence in his answers. Only his life was in jeopardy now. "I am a Resistance fighter, and my name is Finn!"

"No, that is not what you are. That is not your training, your breeding. You are all alike; expendable; you exist for one thing."

She raised the muzzle of her gun to his head and said, "You're cannon fodder."


	4. Episode VIII: 4 Ghost Flight

Chapter 3

Sabine led Leia and Zeb to the landing platform. There stood a Corellian Engineering Corporation VCX series freighter with a small auxiliary fighter attached seamlessly in the top. Its exterior was beaten up and could use detailing with carbon stains and impact dents scattered overall.

"Not much to look at," Leia said.

"Don't judge," Zeb replied. "That's the Ghost. It fought for the rebels before the battle of Yavin."

Leia raised her eyebrows.

Just then, the high scream of TIE fighters were heard overhead. They were flying in the low cloud cover and could not be seen.

"I don't like that sound," Zeb yelled, gripping his rifle and shouldering it to defend; even though he knew it would be utterly useless against TIEs. "We need to get on board."

Then the sound of blaster fire ricocheted from behind them in the platform entry.

"I don't like the sound of that either." He yelled again.

They all ran to the ship, Zeb firing at the platform door as the five knights exited, Kylo Ren not with them. Just as before, the blaster fire rebounded from the deadly blades.

Jax fired up his jetpack and flew over them, as a raptor seeking its prey. He fired down on an angle, a lightsaber in one hand and a blaster in the other. The brute charged, a beast of a man, his feet pounding the ground as he charged the open door of the Ghost.

Sabine was in first followed by the others. "Close the door and get us out of here now, Cap!"

"I'm on it." A man's voice echoed from the front of the ship. "Get on the guns! We're going to be fighting our way out."

The bay door closed and a loud blow hit the closed door, shaking the ship walls and the hearts of those inside. Again and again, the brute slammed his electro-knuckles against the door. The door warped inward with each hit; but the Ghost, its engines roaring, lifted off out of his reach.

"Stay here and buckle up, General," Sabine said to Leia. "This may be a rough ride."

Leia sat down and strapped in. Sabine and Zeb, with swift and mindless routine, left Leia to man the guns.

The Ghost rose into the clouds, climbing higher and higher to exit the atmosphere. Upon exiting the clouds, there to meet them were five patrolling TIE fighters in the sector. It wasn't long before they changed vectors to intersect with the Ghost.

"What are you waiting for?" shouted the pilot. "Start firing!"

Sabine and Zeb opened up on the closest TIEs. Sabine took one out right away. She wiped the dark hair from her forehead after the strike. The four others were in pursuit and were faster than their freighter. The TIE fighters bombarded the Ghost with laser blasts, landing a few hits to the shields. The Ghost continued to climb, veering left and right to avoid fire. Zeb hit one more TIE as they were getting closer, the TIEs carcass falling into the soft blanket of clouds. However, they took two more hits which jolted the ship hard to the starboard.

"We just need to get out of the atmosphere to hit light speed." the pilot yelled. "Just keep them from hitting us again."

"Easier said than done," Zeb shouted back.

The pilot seeing them right on his heels, barrel rolled to the port then made a sharp starboard turn to come at two of them from the side. Sabine fired as the near TIE went down in flames. The other turned hard to its port to race head on at the Ghost, firing madly. The Ghost corkscrewed through the blasts as both Zeb and Sabine fired straight ahead. The TIE exploded into pieces.

Veering up the Ghost sped toward the vacuum of space, one TIE fighter still in pursuit. Laser blasts flew past barely missing.

"We can't take another hit!" Zeb yelled out.

"I know. We're almost there," the pilot returned.

The sky darkened. A blast hit the dorsal ball turret. Sabine cursed, "There goes our only rear-firing gun!"

"Almost there." The pilot sounded calm and unconcerned about the peril. The sky turned black and stars appeared. "Got it. Hold on!"

There before them floating slightly to the right was the star destroyer. They only caught a brief glimpse of it before disappearing into hyperspace.

….

The knights returned to Kylo Ren who was with Prime Minister Lukaro in a council room. The prime minister was flanked by two clone guards, one on each side, the tension rested thick in the room.

"She escaped on the freighter," said the man with the hooded helmet.

Though you could not see his face behind his mask, it was evident that Kylo Ren was raging, his shoulders lifted and stiff.

"At least Gabo dented their bay door pretty good," the man said, clearly not afraid of Kylo Ren.

With great effort, Kylo Ren spoke calmly. "That is all, Tanut. All of you, return to the shuttle."

As they withdrew, he turned his face toward Lukaro, his fists clenched. The guards placed their hands on their sidearms.

"You're failure is inexcusable, Prime Minister."

Lukaro responded timidly, "We did not know that General Organa would have help already stationed here. It is an unfortunate oversight." His black eyes blinked.

"Your security detail is dismal and has cost your system greatly," Kylo Ren stated matter-of-factly.

"I assure you, our security is the greatest in this sector. It was not. . ."

He suddenly found he could not speak and grasped his throat. Kylo Ren held his hand out, his fingers clenched.

The clone guards raised their blasters and aimed them at Kylo Ren.

"Let him go," one demanded.

Kylo Ren let Lukaro go. He gasped and relaxed his arms, but Kylo Ren, apoplectic with indignation, was now holding up both arms toward the clones. They stood motionless aiming their weapons at him.

"This is not a council where we discuss who is to blame, Lukaro."

The clones spasmed as they arduously turned their blasters on Lukaro, unable to break free of Kylo Ren's control. Lukaro drew back in fear.

"It is unfortunate that you have such faith in your security. You would do best to fix that."

The clones struggled, fighting against Kylo Ren's will.

"You can expect to receive no remuneration for your failure."

With that Kylo Ren released the clones. He turned to leave, commenting as he left, "The First Order is looking forward to your future commitment. Don't fail us again."

….

Finn closed his eyes waiting for the inevitable.

A laser blast sounded- too loud for a blaster. The ground shook as an explosion erupted behind Phasma. An A-Wing flashed by, its engines wailing, having fired on the platform. Finn dove for cover and grabbed a blaster. Another laser blast hit the platform. Phasma looked up to see the sky full of A-Wings and the Resistance corvette.

"I've got one good shot left if I max the charge," Lura called to Phasma. She quickly changed the settings on her rifle and took aim, tracking one A-Wing, waiting for a shot. Another blast hit in front of her, not phasing her in the least. The yellow flames rose high in front of her then parted and the smoke evaporated.

Finn took his chance, focused his aim on Phasma. The dark smoke of the burning platform blew in between them; he pulled the trigger. The blast swept through the black smoke, disappearing then hitting her on her side after it flashed out the other end of the smoke, but it was not a kill shot. She staggered and then returned fire, retreating to the door.

An A-Wing took a deep turn, the cockpit angling toward the landing platform. Lura fired, piercing the shielded blast window and killing the pilot. The A-Wing spun downward and disappeared into the sea. Lura shouldered her rifle and pulled out her saber, just in time to deflect Finn's blasts. She turned and ran for through the entry door.

Finn collapsed on the floor, exhausted and wet with sweat and rain. He dropped his head into his hands. He didn't remember anything that happened after that: the corvette landing, Resistance soldiers retrieving him, Poe in his A-Wing taking out six TIEs and providing their escape. He just stared straight ahead, focusing on nothing.

….

Sabine came down from the ball turret to the passenger cabin of the Ghost. Leia unbuckled and stretched, sore from the rough battle maneuvering.

"That was some fancy flying your pilot accomplished," she said.

Sabine smiled. "He's been doing it a long time." She looked up to the cockpit. "Hey, Cap! You should have seen the guy chasing us, you'd be interested in his suit!"

Zeb could be heard laughing through the corridors. "Lucky he didn't, or none of us would have gotten out of there!"

Leia was perplexed by the inside jokes but wanted to pry further.

"Who was that man?" she asked.

"I don't know exactly for sure. But he is one of Kylo Ren's inner circle. I doubt he's Mandalorian. Probably bought the armor and Z-6 jetpack from some scavenger for a pretty price."

"I used to know a bounty hunter that had the same armor," Leia said.

"Yeah, you mean Boba Fett. We all know your history."

Leia looked surprised.

"No, that was no Boba Fett back there," Sabine said.

The pilot climbed down from the cockpit, wiping his brow with a rag.

"We've got him here," Sabine stated.

Leia spun around and was face to face with the pilot. A dark man, aging, but still in good health. He tossed the rag on her seat.

"Surprised to see me, General? You look like you've seen a ghost," Boba joked. Sabine rolled her eyes. Zeb chuckled down the hall.

Leia maintained her calm, though she knew her precarious situation. "So, you set a trap and caught your prey."

Boba Fett ignored her comment. "We need to talk, General Organa."


	5. Episode VIII: 5 Master and Apprentice

Thunder crashed all around the sharp mountain spire that stood lonely in the great sea of Ahch-To. Rain was falling in great sheets. It was a small rocky island, alone in the tempestuous storm, firm and immovable. In the sunlight, it would show its green life, full of low grasses and moss; but now in the dark raging storm, it looked cold and dead. The downpour was as if great waves were crashing over the entire mountain, attempting to beat it into the sea and engulf it in darkness.

It was not completely lifeless, though. Flashes of lightning lit up two figures at the tallest peak. One perched on the very peak, firm and steady, arms out stretched upward. The other sitting on a lower rock nearby.

On the high peak, a young woman, her hair bound up in a loose band around her head, with stray hair stuck to her wet face. Rey, her eyes closed and trying to focus, stood motionless through the tempest, a multitude of rocks floating and orbiting around her. Her clothing, drenched, hung heavy on her. She was still, breathing rhythmically. Waiting. The stones, some the size of a fist, others twenty times that in size, hovered and became stationary. Waiting. Lightning flashed overhead but did not contact the ground. Another heavy wave of rain passed. She waited.

The man was sitting cross-legged with his hands in his lap. He was clothed in a hooded brown robe, with the hood pulled up over his head and eyes. This was not protection from the storm for him, though. The rain had soaked him as well, and rivers of water poured down his face. The sky erupted in light again.

Rey furrowed her brow. The rocks stirred. One small rock fell. The man, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, raised his eyes. The lightning flashed again. Rey opened her eyes and clenched her teeth. The small rock that fell rejoined the others. She had willed it to return. One small strand of her hair began to pull from her wet cheek and rise up. Rey jolted her head up in panic, her control wavering as she anticipated the impending strike. She dropped the rocks and leapt off the pinnacle, lightning bursting behind her and singeing her feet.

She let out a defeated growl, angered and frustrated, with her face lifting out of the muddy ground. "I'm going to die up here!"

"Master your feelings, Rey," Luke stated, still sitting motionless.

She took a deep breath, calmed herself, and mastered her fear. She climbed back to the top again. She resumed her statuesque stance and willed the stones to lift again, one at a time. The storm raged, but her body did not. The stones did not. The thunder roared at her. She stood silently. The rain fell, washing down.

For a moment there was nothing else but the Force. She waited patiently as the lightning flashed and threatened in the sky, but she took no notice of it-not the flash of light, not the crash of the thunder, not even the cold trails of water as they ran down her face. Then the time was right. She could sense the sudden strike. Again she tensed and wavered. The lighting with instantaneous finality fell on the mountain. Rey leapt away.

She hit the wet rocks and scraped her hands in the dive. Grunting even louder. "I can't do it!" she yelled.

"No," Luke replied, "you will not do it."

"What do you think? That I can control lightning?" she asked in desperation.

"What do you think?" he retorted. "Do you think you can control the lightning?"

She did not answer and looked away from Luke.

"It is not control that you need, Rey. You need to let go. To just be."

"But I could get killed up there!" she said.

"Perhaps you may," Luke stated. "Feel the Force. You must let it guide you."

"But don't I control the Force?" she asked.

"Yes, in a way. Now you need to learn to trust it."

"Could I learn to trust it somewhere dry . . . where I might not get cooked like a fried bloggin?"

Luke smiled. "You have survived many years by maintaining control. You must learn to survive by letting go." Luke climbed to the top of the pinnacle in the same stance as Rey, a monument in the storm, his ashen silhouette contrasting the contrasting the stygian sky. His face was peaceful. His eyes closed. Rocks, one by one, lifted in the air until at least twenty surrounded him. The lighting goaded him with its power, but he remained still; the storm would not tempt him to action. The hem of his robe blew in the wind violently. Then it happened. He lifted his arms and clasped them together. Lightning crashed down on top of Luke, broke into twenty arcs, and veered around him to strike the ground through the circle of hovering stones.

He dropped the stones.

"You don't need to brag," Rey quipped.

Luke patiently responded. "Did you see?"

"Yeah, you made the lightning move."

"No. I did not make anything move. The lightning moved around me." He pointed to a stream of water created by the downpour. One with a large rock in the middle parting the water.

"Look at that rock." He said. "What do you see?"

"It's a rock in a stream," she said sarcastically.

"Yes," Luke encouraged, ignoring the sarcasm. "Does the rock control the water?"

"No."

"That is what you must learn. Let the Force work around you. Stop trying to control the Force. Just be. Like the rock lets the water work around it."

"But it is just a rock. It can't do anything. I can." She responded.

"All the more reason for you to learn to be still. Those that learn the Force only to have power over their surroundings are led astray. For that is the way of the dark side. But let's discuss that inside, where it is dry and where we won't risk becoming fried bloggin." He smiled.

….

The black _Upsilon_ -class shuttle slowly entered the docking bay of the star destroyer _Finalizer_ stationed in orbit around Kamino. It's sharp edges and jagged wings complemented the stern and deadly man residing in it.

Waiting for its arrival were three officers dressed in the sleek black officer's uniform of the First Order Navy. The first, with the most fine-lined red ribbons, was Admiral Raph; a tall dark man with a stern face and hard edges. He lived and breathed confidence, evidenced by his tall stance and turned-up chin, even though Kylo Ren and his men approached.

The second, with only one fewer ribbons, was Vice Admiral Dentin; a woman, her blond hair tightly bound under a military cap, her face no less stern, but a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. The last was the intelligence officer, Major Winn; a shorter man than the other too, with very short blond hair. Major Winn was tense and the most nervous of the three. He knew he had to give an adverse report, and being the lowest ranked officer of the three, he felt suspicious that they would order him to attend- especially since he had never been asked to report to Kylo Ren before.

The shuttle landed and exhausted its steam vents. The door opened and the ramp lowered. Kylo Ren, still wearing his helmet exited first. Although the rest of the men and women on the ship were worthy of fear and therefore respect, the three officers were only watching Kylo Ren as he approached. He strode up squarely in front of Vice Admiral Dentin. "Admiral Dentin, please tell me the status of the CR-100 Corvette and the freighter."

Vice Admiral Dentin, recognizing the error in Kylo Ren's salutation, glanced quickly at Admiral Raph. Admiral Raph was obviously put out, but officers are known for taking advantage of any opportunity, and Vice Admiral Dentin was no different.

"Sir, the small Corellian freighter entered light speed only moments after becoming visible from the atmosphere. The corvette, although heavily damaged also escaped-"

"We successfully eliminated all but one of their A-Wings, Sir," Admiral Raph interrupted. "But Major Winn's analysis of-"

His voice cut short mid-sentence as his breath halted and he found that he suddenly could not talk. His hands grasped for his throat. The arteries pulsating on his neck. The sternness of his face melting away in panic. For moments that seemed to take hours his body seemed to hang, writhing, although his feet on were still on the floor. Dentin and Winn watched in silence trying to keep their composure. Winn had thought Admiral Raph was going to try to make him the scapegoat, and now it looked like he was right. However, Raph had not calculated for reporting to a sociopath either-to Winn's benefit. Finally, Raph crumpled to the floor.

"You were saying, Admiral Dentin," he resumed.

"Yes, Sir, because Kamino is in the neighboring galaxy, the analysis of trajectory only leads back to our own galaxy and cannot be reliably trusted. But it suggests that the corvette headed for the center of the galaxy, and the freighter for the outer rim, possibly the mid-rim. That's as narrow as we can estimate."

"That'll be hundreds of viable systems each at least. Useless! Set a course back to Coruscant. And remember, Admiral Dentin, learn from Raph's mistakes. Do not disturb me until we arrive."

"Yes, Sir." Dentin and Winn said in unison.

Kylo Ren pushed past them with his knights following in his train. Three medics rushed in to minister to the hopeless ex-admiral.

Kylo led his knights directly to his communication chamber and stopped outside the door.

"Tanut, Siciah, and Kiam, remain here until I am finished speaking with The Master. The rest of you, find General Hux and report to him the details the battle," he ordered.

The hooded knight, the lean armored woman with her short staff, and the cloaked man remained as the rest departed.

"Do not disturb me for any reason," Kylo Ren ordered before he entered the communication room. It was thick with darkness, swallowing its visitors. It was a massive room with high ceilings vaulting above and a deep back wall, neither of which were visible in the dark, giving the impression of infinite space and the infinitesimal smallness of any who entered. It was Snoke's design for personal communication with his subjects.

Kylo Ren knelt before the darkness and reached out with the dark side of the Force calling to Snoke. He waited patiently, meditating on his anger and hatred.

"I sense your anger," a heavy voice boomed. No holographic image yet appeared.

"Yes, Master." Kylo Ren stated.

"You have failed me."

"Yes, Master."

"I am concerned that you have been conflicted in this mission," the invisible Snoke said.

"I have not been conflicted. My only desire is to serve you, Master," Kylo Ren responded.

"Do not lie to me. I can sense your falseness." Snoke boomed.

"Forgive me, Master." Kylo Ren slouched further down. "I hate that I am tempted to the light, and I wish to be free of it."

"You cannot be free unless I guide you."

"Yes, Master. Guide me."

"Rise and look on me, My Apprentice." Snoke appeared, almost filling the room with his image; cloaked in gray robes. His face was hideous to look at with dark eyes and slitted nose. His furrowed brow added a sharpness to his expression like that of a rancor eying its prey.

Kylo Ren stood and looked up at his master.

"Now, tell me how you failed me," Snoke continued.

"I came out of light-speed too early, giving the Resistance a chance to respond."

"Yes, you did," Snoke waved his hand. "But there is more."

Kylo Ren continued, "I trusted the Kaminoans to be competent."

"Yes, you did," Snoke waved his hand again. "But there is more."

Kylo wavered, knowing what Snoke was getting at. "I felt the light side of the Force."

"That's it." Snoke squinted his eyes.

"And," Kylo paused a moment. "I saw something."

"What did you see?" Snoke leaned in.

"I saw Skywalker and his Apprentice." He felt his side where the old blaster wound had healed. "They came to me . . . to us."

"And then what?"

"I do not know. That is all I saw," he answered.

"Well, you have been tempted, but not beyond my ability to draw you back. It was well that you told me. Do you see how this vision has affected your judgment and made you weak?"

"Yes, Master."

"Your inclination to trust the feeble Kaminoans and your subconscious decision to exit light-speed was influenced by the light side. It has made you ineffective. You were not observant of your feelings- a grave error. But not all is lost." Snoke touched his chin and studied Kylo Ren a moment.

"The vision of Luke Skywalker and his apprentice that you saw was true. We must look into this." He sneered. "But this time, My Apprentice, let me guide you with visions from the dark side. Report to me as soon as you arrive at Coruscant."

"Yes, Master."

Snoke's image vanished and the darkness returned, leaving Kylo Ren prostrated on the jet black floor.


	6. Episode VIII: 6 Apprentice and Master

The rain had stopped and sunlight was beginning to peek through the clouds. The streams of rainwater were still rushing down the steep slopes of the mountainous island. Rey sat quietly in her stone hut, her legs folded and her arms resting on her lap. She meditated as Luke had instructed her, seeking peace and guidance from the Force, a practice she found difficult. Action was one thing. Movement, searching, struggle-these were the essences of life that she was used to; but meditation, stillness, contentment-these were as foreign to her as water to a womprat. Still, she tried.

She desired to master her abilities for reasons that were her own. In some way, she thought that learning these skills, would aid in her search for her parents and maybe even for the Resistance. How, she did not know; but there was a sense that this was the path she belonged on. But again, these thoughts flooding her mind, distracted her from reaching out to the Force. She realized the trap and became frustrated. The frustration discouraged her more; it became another feeling to be mindful of and to put aside. That frustration filled her with hopelessness that she would never get her feelings under control, which led to anger with herself: distraction to frustration, to hopelessness, to anger. She opened her eyes in despair. With a sigh, she got up to get some fresh air. She was eager to move on to something she could have more success at, like saber fighting, or Jedi mind tricks.

The sun felt good after that wet night. She took a moment to let it warm her face. Then she started for Luke's hut. There were no doors on the stone huts, just deep rounded doors facing down the mountain so rainwater that blew in would flow back out. Rey cautiously entered his hut, her hand on the side of the door as she peered in.

Luke was meditating facing away from the doorway. He was not sitting upright in normal Jedi meditation but was leaning over his folded legs. His arms were stretched out and touching the lightsaber that Rey had brought him when she arrived. It was his father's lightsaber, Anakin Skywalker who later became Darth Vader, the ominous Sith Apprentice of Darth Sidious during the Empire.

Luke was obviously meditating, but just as obviously he was in distress. His arms tensed, and deep breathing betrayed that he was breaking his own instruction on meditation.

Rey watched silently for a moment. Then Luke slowly sat upright and calmed his breathing, the stale air seeming to lift as he did so.

"Sit down, Rey," he said without looking at her.

She came in and sat beside him erect.

"That hardly looked like peaceful meditation," Rey began.

"It was not."

"What was it then?"

"Battle with the past and the future: the things we cannot change, and the many possibilities that we fear."

Rey knew exactly what he meant. "I wish we could change the past and order the future."

Luke said nothing. Rey could see him reaching out with the Force, hoping for something, but she could not guess what. The silence was uncomfortable.

Being a little impatient, Rey said, "You have been teaching me about letting go. What about the rest? I cannot fight the First Order with meditation."

"I was not going to train anymore Jedi before you came," he said quietly.

"I know about Han Solo's son, Kylo Ren," Rey said. She began to feel as if the two of them were having separate conversations.

"What do you know?" he replied.

"That he was one of your students, and then he betrayed you to the dark side."

"Ben was one of my students, one of many; but he did not just betray me. He was deceived by the dark side and led many other of my students to the dark side as well. Those that did not side with him they killed. They killed them all; he and his knights as he called them. It was then that he started calling himself Kylo Ren."

"Did you fight him?" Rey asked.

"Yes, but I would not kill him."

Rey surprised said, "What? Why not! Look at what he has done. If only you had killed him, you would have saved the lives of many."

"That is not the way of the Force," Luke said.

"So the way of the Force is to run away and do nothing?" Rey snapped.

"Trusting in the Force stayed my hand. Ben still has good in him. For reasons I do not know he was meant to live." Luke responded calmly. "For reasons I do not understand you were brought to me as well."

"So that you can teach me how to stand on rocks, sit in a hut, and get struck by lightning."

"I will not fail again," Luke sighed. "You want to know the ways of the Force, first you must learn these things. Without them, you will fall into darkness."

"While the galaxy falls into darkness," she shot back sardonically.

"Your anger and fear get the best of you. Be wary," he warned.

She stopped short and recognized the truth in what Luke said. Her emotions often got away from her without her perceiving it. She calmed herself and tried to set them aside.

"Forgive me, Master Luke," she said. "I am afraid for my friends. I am angered at my helplessness here. It feels like I am back on Jakku waiting for my parents who never came."

"It's okay, Rey," he comforted and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You do not give yourself enough credit. It is your history that makes you who you are. Do not be so sure that it was without purpose, and do not be so sure that you are helpless."

Although kind, his eyes betrayed a hint of uneasiness, which Rey perceived.

"You are not being completely honest with me," she said.

Again he did not respond directly to her comment. "It is time for me to take you to the temple. You want further training."


	7. Episode VIII: 7 Negotiations

The Ghost sped through the blue and nebulous hyperspace. Rishi Maze, the galaxy of the Kamino system, was such a distance from Leia's galaxy that there was plenty of downtime during the trip. Being stuck in a Corellian freighter for hours was no one's idea a pleasant experience, especially with an irritated general in the personnel cabin, and a smug bounty hunter as master of her fate.

"Get out of my seat, you Bantha!" Sabine barked at Zeb, who was sitting in the co-pilot chair of the cockpit next to Boba.

"Well excuse me," he replied with a smile, settling deep into the seat and crossing his silver furred arms. "Just keeping it warm for you."

Sabine did not want to keep this conversation going, knowing that Zeb was about to get obnoxious.

"Just get out of my seat!"

"But wait, I didn't tell you how I was keeping it warm." Zeb protested.

"Not another word!" She kicked his shin hard and glared at him.

He growled in pain. "Fine, fine." He rose from his seat.

"Here," Boba said, "You can have mine. I need to go talk with the general. Hopefully, she's in a better mood."

"How's your face?" Sabine asked.

Boba felt his right swollen cheekbone. "The old lady still can throw a punch."

"Yeah, and you can still take one." Zeb quipped. "Maybe she'll give you another one and even you out."

"On second thought . . . Don't sit in my seat." Zeb's face dropped in disappointment. Sabine gleamed.

Boba left the cockpit to enter the passenger quarters. Leia was sitting down at the holographic Dejarik table. She sat comfortably, but still with an air of a royalty. Her austere semblance, giving evidence to her long-past office, grew with age; and she seemed more like a princess now than ever before. That may have intimidated some, but not Boba. He sat down across from her with his own confidence to display.

"Looks like you got into a fight with a Wookiee." Leia smiled.

"I'm pretty sure I did," he responded.

"I heard rumors of your being alive," Leia said.

"Well. Apparently, they were more than rumors since the New Republic put a reward on my head. Not that that matters anymore. Are you ready to talk?"

"Are you going to give me my transceiver back?" she asked.

"Nope."

"Then what do you think?"

Boba needed a new approach. "You know, you would have died back there. They weren't going to capture you and make a negotiation. They were going to make an example."

Leia stared past him without a word.

"Those two up in the cockpit, Sabine and Zeb. They fought for the first Rebellion. They were part of the very beginning of the Rebel Alliance, back with Cham Syndulla. And it seems to me, we are not that far from the same kind of struggle now."

Leia moved her eyes to look in his direction.

"After the Empire fell, it wasn't good. You remember. Warlords and military generals trying to grab power as quick as possible. The order that the Empire maintained with an iron fist was gone. And anyone with might could and tried to take control. Sabine and Zeb had to do what they could to stay alive."

Leia interrupted, "Are you saying they were better off under the Empire!"

"No, but the peace the New Republic brought came too late for them. By that time they were already wanted criminals with their own rewards on their heads."

"So that is what this is all about. You let me go, and you all get your criminal records erased."

"Our records are already erased. Now that the New Republic has been destroyed. We want our history to stay gone," Boba said. "If the First Order defeats you, our records are gone forever. They have no problem with bounty hunters and criminals. But that isn't a future government I'm looking forward to."

"You seemed to have done well with a government like that before," Leia interjected referring to the Empire.

"True, but I was a younger man then. Willing to do whatever it takes. I'm tired, General. Sabine and Zeb are too. It's time to stop running and retire."

"So that's it. You want to return me to the Resistance, in exchange for a clean slate."

"Yeah. Part of it. If the Resistance defeats the First Order, all our criminal past comes back. I want you to ensure that our history doesn't. Promise me that, and I will take you anywhere you tell me to."

Leia laughed mockingly, "So to erase your criminal record, you kidnap a high official! And maybe even think yourself a hero in the process for saving me. You deserve to be sent to the Stygeon System to serve time for all the things you've done. Don't think, I am just going to let you off the hook for a taxi ride! Besides, the Resistance will do just fine without me." She crossed her arms and glared at him.

Boba reached down and pulled out a data chip and held it up.

"I said that was only part of the deal," he stated.

"What's that?" Leia pursed her lips, not impressed.

"The location and time of a secret meeting between Kylo Ren, Snoke, and General Hux," he answered.

"So what?"

"With very limited protection. And in a vulnerable location."

"How limited? How vulnerable?"

"The meeting is to take place on one star destroyer and nothing else, in an uninhabited system."

Leia began to see the potential of this information. A thousand possibilities of success raced through her mind. She thought through the negotiation for a moment.

"How did you get this?" she asked.

"We've been doing this a long time, General. Do you really need me to give you the details of our operation? We got it. And it's real."

"Fine, you will have your criminal records eliminated, but first I will need my transceiver to run your transmission by intelligence to verify its authenticity," she said.

"That's not the deal, General," Boba countered. "For returning you home, I want you to clear our past. For this transmission, I want three million credits."

"What! You're crazy!" she blurted out.

"Didn't I tell you we wanted to retire." Boba smiled. "We return you home. You wipe our history. We give you a portion of the transmission for you to verify. You verify it. You give us three million credits. Then you get the whole transmission. You use it to destroy the head of the First Order, and we retire comfortably."

Leia's anger rolled over her. "A ransom."

It was Boba's turn to laugh now. "Better than a bounty, which you know I am just as happy with."

Leia realized how masterful Boba Fett was at what he did. "What if I refuse?"

"I'm sure the First Order would love to get their hands on the highest ranking general of their opposition. And we would be handsomely rewarded. If you would rather I get a bounty than a ransom, that's your choice. And of course, the Resistance would miss one of the best opportunities they have had yet." He dangled the data chip like a lure.

Leia gritted her teeth. "I wish you never crawled out of that Sarlacc pit."

Boba smiled. "Good for you that I did. Just tell me we have a deal, and I'll take you wherever you want to go."

Boba returned to the cockpit and sat down quickly in his seat not looking directly at Sabine and Zeb. Zeb was sitting in a rear passenger chair obediently.

"How'd it go?" Sabine asked.

He looked at her, his left eye now beginning to bruise, matching his right.

"That good, huh?" Zeb chimed in.

Boba started, "She agreed. Three million for the first transmission after she authenticates it. And to make us clean."

"And the second transmission?" Zeb asked.

"We will wait on that until we can decode it," Boba said. "Since the old codes we stole from the First Order only worked on the first transmission, I think it best to wait until we swipe the new codes first and find out what the second transmission is. There is not much use selling it, until we know what it is worth."

Sabine looked a little uneasy about that idea but understood the reasoning.

"So where are we going?" she asked.

"We're setting a course for Alderaan?" Boba said.

"But Alderaan is gone. The Empire destroyed it with the first death star over thirty years ago," Sabine argued.

"I'm just going where General Organa asked to be taken. That was the deal," Boba said.


	8. Episode VIII: 8 The Jedi Temple

The opening to the Jedi temple was an ancient door cut by skilled hands thousands of years before. The relic entryway stood undisturbed at the north side of the mountain's overshadowing face. The ancient Jedi emblem-two upward stretched wings, with a star at the center shone on its face. There were no cleavages in the stone door to show where its joints were for the opening. It was just a twenty-foot tall rock wall, about ten feet wide. By each side, two conical sculptures framed the door, with an overhanging rock ledge at the top.

Rey and Luke stood on a level platform before the door. Each stood within a circle carved into the ground.

"The Jedi temple was fashioned so two Jedi are needed to open its doors. A master and a Padawan," Luke said.

Rey looked expectantly at the door, pregnant with anticipation, then to Luke, waiting for instruction.

"Together," he ordered.

Rey and Luke both held out their right hands and closed their eyes. Rey furrowed her brow. Luke tilted his head slightly.

A few pebbles dislodged from the top of the door as it jostled. The earth vibrated as rock began to grind on rock, the door lifting slowly and angling back into the mountain overhead. It elevated smoothly until it disappeared into the rock.

Rey and Luke held it in place as they walked slowly through the doorway into the dusty obscurity of the temple. Once there, they released their hold on the door, and it slid back into place behind them with a loud, granular thud. They were closed in.

The stale air was broken with the movement of the slab door; but from small openings in the vaulted ceiling, there emitted some thin rays of light that lit the floating dust and flakes in the air; tiny points of light in the dark vastness. There was enough light to see three passageways open before them. Four pillars once stood framing each passage-huge pillars that were fifteen feet in diameter and would have risen to the top of the mountain had they not fallen long ago. The rubble of their fall was present all around. Luke and Rey stood in a foyer room. However, they were not alone. Scattered throughout, there sat many bodies; skeletons, clothed in robes. Some were human-many were not, but obviously humanoid. A few were still sitting, legs crossed as if meditating. Others had fallen over, and others were almost dust.

"Who are these people?" Rey asked.

"Old Jedi Masters," Luke answered.

"Did they come here to die?" Rey asked trying to make sense of it.

"They died, waiting for their Padawans to return," Luke said. "Two Jedi are needed to open the door. A master and a Padawan." He gestured to the closed door.

Rey realized the gravity of the situation.

"What must I do here?" she inquired.

"That is different for everyone. The Force will guide you."

She looked to the three passageways, a choice before her, she could sense it: life and death and uncertainty.

"What is down there?" she asked.

"Only what you bring in. Anger, fear, peace, hope."

"Which way do I go?"

"Let the Force guide you. Which passage is drawing you?" Luke answered.

Rey stood and looked at each door, reaching out with the Force. She focused her energy over each passage, allowing her Force to reach into the twilight of each. The passages each gave a faint cold glow, the walls containing some kind of phosphorescent mineral. She narrowed her search and focused with the Force down the center passage and began to walk.

"Your lightsaber," Luke said. She had been training with Anakin's old lightsaber and it was attached to her belt. "You will not need it."

Rey thought about it. Looking at the skeletons scattered around Luke, she thought otherwise.

"Something happened to those Padawans. If I don't return, you will be like one of these skeletons."

Luke did not say a word. Rey took his silence as permission to keep the lightsaber.

She proceeded down the center passage. It was cold but not damp as she would have expected. The passage wound downward irregularly. There were no other openings, just a path downward. She walked a long time before coming to a fork. She stopped, uncertain which way to go. Reaching into the Force again she tried to seek guidance.

Nothing. Frustrated with the effort she tried again. No use. She squinted her eyes to look down both passages. There were no obvious differences between them.

Then she heard it.

"Rey." It was a woman's voice. One she recognized, but she could not identify.

"Rey." It was coming from the path to the right. She followed.

The voice kept calling. She moved faster. The passage opened into an open cavern with a small subterranean lake. She looked around to locate the source of the voice, but the voice had ceased.

She noticed across the lake a brightly glowing crystal in the rock on the other side. It shone brighter than anything else she had seen in the cave; a light in the darkness, a hope. It was impossible to ignore the Force calling her to it.

"That must be the reason I was to come here," she thought to herself. She stepped into the water.

"I'll have to wade," she thought. She began to take off her lightsaber and outer robe.

"REY!" The same voice crashed through the silence behind her.

She spun around. There before her, was a large black container, with armored doors. The doors cracked and gasped as they opened on their own to reveal a woman imprisoned in this portable cell. Rey had not noticed this container when she had walked into the cavern. The woman inside was of medium build, middle-aged, with dark hair and eyes. The resemblance to Rey was unmistakable.

"My daughter! Rey, come to me quickly." She called.

Rey ran to her mother, a sudden longing arising within her; one she had pushed down for years.

"Mom! Mom!" Rey cried.

"Yes, dear."

Rey ran to the bars and reached her arms in to touch her mother. "Is it really you?" Rey murmured. They embraced through the bars as best they could. The arms were real. She grasped them and tried to lean into the bars as much as she could.

"How can I get you out?" Rey started to study the cell, but could not find any lock or opening. She kept a hand through the bars, not wanting to miss a moment of contact with her mother while searching.

"They put me here. They don't ever want me to get out," her mother said.

"Who? Who put you here?"

Her mother was about to say when a red glow lit up her face; her face suddenly wincing in pain. A red lightsaber had exited her torso and then drew back in. Her mother's face shriveled and became a pale green as her body fell to the floor. Standing behind her, unmasked, was Kylo Ren.

Rey, for a moment, was stunned, not knowing what had just happened. She stepped back. Then seeing her mother dead at Kylo Ren's feet, rage filled her form. She activated Anakin's lightsaber and held it up ready, its deadly blade illuminating her deadly face.

Kylo Ren sliced the bars with his saber, melting them away and stepped out.

"You killed her!" Rey shouted and raised her lightsaber to lay a heavy downward blow.

Kylo Ren whipped his saber to block and deflect, pushing her aside.

She came again with a side strike, then stab. He deflected and side-stepped aptly. Kylo Ren laughed taunting her.

Tears filled her eyes. She could not say anything, only swing.

Kylo Ren Force-pushed her into the cavern wall, throwing her twenty feet in the air. She gasped at the impact; but she stood back up, took a deep breath, and charged back. Kylo Ren attacked this time, swinging high. Rey ducked and Force-pushed Kylo Ren into the air.

He landed off balance a dozen yards away, but Rey was already on him slashing her blue-hot blade down. He blocked, but the move made his footing more unstable and he fell backward. Rey grabbed the lightsaber with both hands and swung wildly. Kylo Ren blocked with desperate parries. He reached out his hand with contorted fingers.

Rey stopped suddenly, her body encased in an invisible Force. She tried to swallow; tried to breathe but was unable. She struggled against the Force to grasp her neck with a free hand as Kylo Ren choked her.

Kylo Ren stood up holding her at bay and backed up about ten feet.

"Do you feel helpless? Unable to get one simple breath." he chided her. "A lot like your father was when I killed him."

Rey straightened and closed her eyes, focusing. She stopped trying to breathe and drew power from within.

"A shame you waited for so long. Waiting for a family that would never return."

Rey could sense her consciousness fading, her throat beginning to crush. She fought to reach her hand toward Kylo Ren, feeling the Force.

In one movement, using the Force she pulled him in. Her lightsaber ignited. He rushed onto her lightsaber, his chest skewered by the fateful blade. His face, wide-eyed, shown the shock he felt. The blue glow of the lightsaber emitted behind him.

She kicked him to the ground and stood over him, panting.

Somewhere in the cave, she heard a short restrained laugh. She looked around to see, who else was there. There was nothing. When she turned back to look on Kylo Ren he was gone. Not only him, her mother, and the cell were gone too. Her eyes darted around searching for anyone, anything; but nothing was there. She was alone. She fell to her knees and wept.

Luke waited in a meditation stance, fighting fear. It had been too long, he thought. He had not been into this temple before, but he knew the kind of thing Rey would be experiencing. He himself had entered a place strong in the Force in the Dagobah system when training with Yoda. Things appeared in places like that. There he had see Darth Vader. They were more than hallucinations; they were real. This temple was built over one of those places. Luke tried to suppress his anxiety at what Rey was confronting. What she saw may be true or false. He could sense the struggles she was having, wavering between fear, love, and anger . . . and hope. His own struggles mirrored those emotions. She was not alone in her trial.

Rey emerged from the tunnel, her clothes wet.

Luke smiled seeing her return, his fear melting for a moment.

Rey did not say anything. She did not know what to say. She simply held out a crystal.

Luke gazed, his eyes wide. His aging legs shifted uncomfortably.

"How did you find that?" he asked.

"It kind of called to me," Rey answered. She did not want to talk about the details of her mother calling. "What is it?"

"It is a kyber crystal. A rare crystal used to focus Force energy for lightsabers." Luke could not hide his concern, as he pushed back the hair from his forehead.

"What's wrong?" she inquired.

"It's just that everything is different." Luke was distant, almost talking to himself. "The Force is leading you to make your lightsaber."

Rey beamed with astonishment. "That's great!"

But Luke was not excited. Rey was a little disheartened by his cold response.

"Is it not great?" she asked.

"That crystal that called to you is extremely rare."

She looked carefully at the small crystal. It was black and diamond shaped, no bigger than a fingernail.

"One of that kind has not called to a Jedi in over a thousand years. Not since the Old Republic."

Rey stared in wonder at the crystal and rolled it in her fingers, studying its geometry.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"I don't know," Luke answered. "The path we are on is uncertain, and the future is clouded in this matter. More than that, I dare not say. I must seek guidance before we go any further. Let's get out of here."

He held his hand out toward the door. Rey was frustrated realizing the conversation was over for now. She raised her hand, fingers together toward the door. She could not wait to start working on her lightsaber. The door slowly opened. She did not notice that the massive pillars behind her that had been destroyed when she entered the passage were now returned to their places.


	9. Episode VIII: 9 Debriefing

Finn recovered in the medical bay of the Resistance space station; a station hidden in the asteroid rubble of the planet Alderaan. The asteroids were now referred to as the Graveyard. They were the final resting place for the entire population of Alderaan. Within months of Alderaan's demise, scavengers and treasure hunters had cleaned out the asteroids and rubble of anything valuable that may have survived. So now, being destitute of life and any valuable resources, it was a good place to hide, even though it was in the Core of the galaxy. The space station was a spherical mesh of interconnected corridors and ships. The center of it was a New Republic command station that over time had other space stations grafted to it. Old space cruisers that were no longer flightworthy were also semi-permanently attached, as well as large asteroids that had been cored out and fitted with life support systems. The final result was a star-burst pattern of ships, corridors, asteroids, and stations capable of docking hundreds of ships and containing at least fifty docking bays. It was not pretty, but it was highly functional and able to be disassembled into individual ships and cruisers to move to a new location, with only worthless corridors and flightless ships left behind.

Finn's wound was not severe, but it did need some attention. The medical droid flushed and debrided his wound, not a pleasant experience, although eased slightly by a mild topical anesthetic. Finn winced but maintained his composure. It was not the physical pain that bothered him most after the battle.

The medical droid finished bandaging his shoulder and gave him instructions on wound care, which Finn hardly heard, as he mechanically agreed with the instructions like an automaton. He picked up the jacket that his friend Poe had given him. He remembered being able to save Poe, how saving him became the defining moment of his defection from the First Order-the moment he first joined the Resistance, although he had not known it at the time. At the time, he just knew helping Poe escape from Kylo Ren was the right thing to do.

He looked at the jacket, a brown flight officer's jacket- a jacket that belonged to one of the best pilots of the Resistance. He did not know if Poe had survived the attack on Kamino. The way things had gone, he assumed he did not.

"At least I could save you once." He spoke low and to himself, trying to see some hope. It did not work.

"Sir, did you say something?" the medical droid responded.

"Oh. No, nothing important. Thank you." he said and left the medical bay. He headed for the sleeping quarters, wanting to be alone. The corridors were crowded with protocol droids and Resistance fighters walking to various areas of the station depending on their orders. Finn, as one of the few survivors of the last mission, was given one standard day to recover and debrief. He did not want to debrief. He just wanted to be alone. That was difficult in a space station.

A heavy-set Besalisk bumped into his injured shoulder as he passed. Finn gritted his teeth but kept moving knowing it was unintentional. The narrow passage made it difficult to pass without knocking into others.

Purposefully walking toward the sleeping quarters, he spotted a small white-and-orange astromech BB series droid pass at an intersection of corridors about ten yards ahead of him. He knew that droid. His face brightened and his soul lifted at the possibility. "BB-8!" he called out.

If BB-8 was here, that meant Poe survived. He ran after BB-8. Bumping into a blue male Twi'lek, injuring his shoulder more. Finn did not care. He turned to the right and could see BB-8 pass through a double airlock door where two stations were grafted together. Finn followed. The following station had been fitted as a mess hall.

Since it was not a scheduled meal time, the tables were fairly empty. Two short Sullustans were deep in conversation at one table. A few human Resistance fighters were huddled at another. At a small corner table sat a handsome man with dark hair and strong features. He bent over a holographic readout, appearing to study it: the specs on a B-Wing Mark II. He whistled in appreciation at some feature he discovered in it. BB-8 arriving, whistled back.

"Oh, BB-8! What else did you get?"

BB-8 whistled and beeped affectionately, then projected another ship.

"Ah, the new Naboo fighters. Great! I can't wait to try those out. I've had enough of these old refurbished models we keep using," he said, still intensely focused on the B-Wing specs.

Finn walked up to the table. "How many of those things do you need to fly?"

"All of them," Poe replied automatically before knowing who he was speaking to. Poe looked up. He let out a great laugh and jumped up to embrace Finn.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" Poe exclaimed.

"I'd say the same about you. I was thinking you didn't make it," Finn replied.

"Oh, that air battle. Takes more than that to get me. Got six of them myself . . . not that they are getting any better mind you; bunch of droids it seems-Ouch!"

BB-8 had zapped him for the comment.

Realizing what he said, he turned to BB-8 and said, "Oh uh, no offense. You probably could have taken them on all by yourself. I couldn't have done it without you."

BB-8 beeped at him.

"He forgives me," he said to Finn. "Here take a seat."

Finn sat down. "Don't worry. I know what you mean," he said. "I'm just glad you survived."

Finn was really glad that Poe was alive, but it was hard to forget the others who had died.

Poe, seeing Finn reserved in the reunion, dropped his smile slightly. "You know what you need: a drink."

"No. There are no bars on the station, and I could really pass on the nutro-drinks they have here. No thanks." Finn protested; but before he could finish the sentence, Poe was up and at the wall mount, getting two cups filled with a green opaque liquid, meant for offering a balanced nutrient load for soldiers. He returned and put the cup in front of Finn.

"Drink it quick," he demanded as he pounded back his own.

"Really. I hate this stuff."

"Drink it."

Finn obliged. Poe then whipped out a long cylindrical flask and poured the contents into both cups.

"What's this?" Finn asked.

"A little something some of us pilots make when we got the time. A little recipe of whatever we can find."

Finn took a sip. It was definitely fermented something, but what, he could not figure out. The drink had a sweet start, but a potent burn and lingering aftertaste.

He coughed and said, "Strong, and bitter."

"Yeah, that would be the bellberries," Poe stated with pride.

"But good." Finn took another sip then set it down on the table.

"Listen," Poe said. His face was now all concern. "I know what happened."

He really did know. The details of the failed mission, Finn being the only survivor, and Leia still missing was common knowledge in the station.

"But I know what it was like. I've been there too," he continued, with compassion and understanding. "A lot of us have. And you are not alone."

He looked over at the Sullustans and nodded. Finn looked over his shoulder and saw the two raise their glasses slightly to Poe as a small salute.

"Yeah," Finn said. "Maybe you understand a little. But it wasn't your fault. It was mine. I failed them."

Poe took a mouthful of his drink and poured himself a little more. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"People ask me how I became a good pilot. And I usually say something about practice or hard work. Something that sounds alright." Poe took another sip. "They wouldn't understand, you see."

Finn rotated his cup between his fingers.

"My mother was a pilot for the Rebellion; she fought at the Battle of Endor. A real flying ace she was. But she never talked about that much. After her death, my older brother and I joined the Resistance as fighter pilots. Following in her steps, right? The two of us were a great team in the skies. He was a much better fighter than me then."

Poe's countenance fell. He took another swig and poured more.

"He was shot down over Mustafar," he said matter-of-factly obviously trying to hold back emotion. "I was with him. I have thought about that day over and over. If I had turned this way or that; if I had blasted that TIE fighter or whatever, then maybe . . ." He sat silent for a moment.

Finn waited.

"I could have given up. You see what I'm telling you?" He asked Finn. "Every time I'm out there in my fighter, it's as if I'm out there with him. Things like that . . . they wreck you . . . but they just might make you a great fighter pilot."

Finn realized that he might not be alive if Poe had given up. He understood what Poe was trying to say.

"You are not alone. You have many brothers and sisters of adversity here." Poe concluded. Finn looked back again at the Sullustans and then to Poe.

Just then, two other pilots came in the room. Seeing Poe, they came up to the table.

"Did you check your HoloNet?" one asked Poe.

"Not yet, what's going on?" he replied.

"The general is back. She's calling for a meeting at thirteen hundred standard."

Poe stood up, looked at Finn and said, "See. It wasn't a total failure."

Finn smiled.


	10. Episode VIII: 10 It's Always a Trap

Rey had spent days of concentrated work on her lightsaber, and now it was finished. She had fashioned her light staff into one- the staff she had used for so long on Jakku, as she had striven to survive among thieves, scroungers, and hoodlums. It had just felt right to convert the weapon that she was already accustomed to into her lightsaber. It was familiar to her and comfortable, much easier to her than the traditional lightsaber.

She was eager to show it off to Luke, who had isolated himself, and therefore her, since returning from the Jedi temple.

Rey wondered what about the crystal had so flustered him. She knew he had always been very careful around her in what he said and did, figuring it had to do with his insecurities about losing Ben Solo and fearing to repeat that history. Seeing his obvious anxiety about the crystal caused her to examine his teachings about controlling her fear. She was becoming more aware of his struggle to master his own fears; this inability of her master to abide Jedi teachings confounded her and made her question the very tenets of the Jedi. Her confidence in him had begun to waver.

She climbed to the top of the mountain to where he had instructed her during the storm. It was a cloudy day, the gray clouds looking heavy and wet made it appear to be colder than it actually was. He was not sitting but standing, speaking loudly, almost shouting. She decided to sneak up to listen. She must be careful not to use the Force, for Luke would sense that and stop whatever he was doing. This was one thing that she had learned while learning under his teaching. She approached stealthily, a technique she was very knowledgeable of through years of sneaking around the shipwrecks of Jakku. He sounded as if he was calling out to his old master Yoda, questioning the sky, apparently, and asking why he would not come to him anymore.

"Where are you!" he cried out.

Rey sensed the power of the Force in Luke reaching out to another place, system, world. As soon as she sensed it, she knew she was found out. Sensing the Force in him, he was also able to sense her. He stopped and looked down at her. He looked defeated and tired, his shoulders low and face drawn.

Rey, trying to cover her embarrassment, started in, "I wanted to show you my lightsaber." She held out her staff for him to see, a hint of pride rising to the surface above her unease.

"I don't want to see it." He said somberly. He stepped down from the peak and approached her. "I can no longer be your teacher," he said flatly.

"What!" Rey was shocked. "Why?"

"There is nothing left that I can teach you," Luke said.

"What are you talking about. How about the lightning thing up there?" she stumbled trying to get near to him. "And mind control, and lightsaber fighting, and . . . and . . . whatever else there is?" she gasped in desperation.

"You have my instruction about peace. That is all you need to master the storm."

Rey understood his double meaning.

"As for the rest, you have no need to learn those things from me," he said.

She was frustrated and took a few quick steps toward him on the loose rubble, the stones shifting under her feet, her foundation giving way.

"Who were you calling to?" she asked.

"It is not important."

"Yes, it is. So many things you have not been telling me. I can sense it. I think your excuse for not teaching me is a lie. I think you are afraid. The very thing you counsel me to control."

Luke could not reply. He could not look at her.

Rey continued, "I think you're afraid because things are happening that you don't understand. Well, so am I! I think you're afraid because the Force isn't giving you all the answers. And you may have to figure it out on your own. I think you're afraid because you don't want to fail again like you did with Ben. Well, I'm not Ben!"

"You are right," Luke resigned and sat down on an eroded rock, defeated. "But I am right, too. There is nothing I have left that I can teach you."

The stones beneath her feet shifted again and Rey perceived the path before her; it was no longer on Ahch-To.

"Then I must go," she said.

Luke gave a reticent nod.

"I didn't tell you-" she started but Luke interrupted.

"That you saw someone in the temple."

Rey was surprised. "Yes, my mother."

She did not want to tell him that she fought Ben.

"Be careful. I know you want to find her. It is dangerous. You will be tempted to the dark side."

Rey could not take it anymore. "Well, you're not my master anymore. So I am going."

She started to walk down the mountainside, regaining her firm footing and hollering back, "I'm calling Chewie."

She grabbed her holographic transponder inside her hut and contacted Chewbacca. He would arrive shortly and take her from Ahch-To. They had arranged previously that Chewbacca would be available at a moment's notice if Luke or Rey needed to leave. Rey felt there was no time to lose.

Luke approached her door, concern in his eyes.

"Rey," he spoke.

She came out and looked at him.

"I know I can't stop you from going, but you can't stop me from coming with you."

"What, so you can keep an eye on me?" she retorted.

"No. So I can help you find your mother. You need not be alone in this."

Rey's countenance brightened as she felt the weight of her loneliness lift a bit. She had not realized how much she needed that. It had been months of training under him, feeling his aloofness. She had felt alone, more alone than ever before, but she did not ever recognize that until now when Luke offered help. She hugged him unexpectedly for both of them.

"Thank you," she said.

….

The Ghost was parked in a crowded docking bay of the Resistance space station located in the Alderaan asteroid field. The station was not equipped to house more than a few hundred occupants, so anyone who had a ship fitted with its own living quarters was required to dwell in their own ship. Every docked ship was hard-lined into the base communication system for immediate contact from command.

Boba, Sabine, and Zeb, bored and careless were waiting in the common area of the Ghost when C-3PO and R2-D2 arrived.

"Excuse me, eh-Boba Fett," C-3PO called timidly up the open loading bay door. "I have a message from the General Organa."

"Come in," he replied. "We've been expecting you."

C-3PO and R2-D2 approached Boba Fett who was lounging in a chair, his booted feet resting on the back of a broken astromech droid.

Boba Fett did not stand to receive the report. Sabine and Zeb were seated at the Dejarik table, but Sabine rose to meet the droids.

C-3PO started, "well, yes. The General Organa says that as the original request you had made has been carried out-"

"Excellent." Boba interrupted. "And the other?"

"Yes, she also would like to inform you that the transmission has been verified, and the amount you agreed upon has been transferred."

"Check that, Sabine," he ordered. Boba cleaned his teeth with a metal pick.

"Already on it," she replied and rushed to the cockpit to check the visual read out.

A moment later she called out, "It's good."

"Then I believe we owe you something." he said to C-3PO as he rose from his seat.

He produced the data chip and offered it to the protocol droid.

"Please, if you would. Please, insert it into my droid counterpart." He gestured to R2-D2.

Boba inserted the chip into R2-D2's data port.

"The General Organa thanks you for your cooperation. She also requests that you attend the briefing session at thirteen hundred standard. Something about making good on your original request. Though I do not know what she was talking about in that regard."

Boba agreed but was cautious. He squinted his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck, effortlessly analyzing Leia's request. He smiled to himself at a deduced idea but did not say it aloud.

The two droids then turned to leave. Upon leaving R2-D2 could be heard emitting a few loud sharp beeps and C-3PO hitting him on the head.

"Well, that is very impolite R2. Of course, he looks older. It has been thirty years." The argument continued well beyond the ability of the crew of the Ghost to hear it.

"Looks like that's it," Zeb said as he rested his hands on the top of his head.

"What do you think that's about: her asking us to the briefing?" Sabine asked Boba.

"She may credit us with finding the transmission, but I would suspect she'll more likely try to get us to join the fight," Boba replied.

"Like that's going to happen," Zeb interjected. "I barely wanted to get involved in this affair. Now that it's over, it's time to go home."

Sabine's spider droid crawled in through the open bay door. She held out her arm for the spider droid to return.

"Before you make any decisions on that, Zeb, let's see if my spider has found whether the Resistance has any new First Order codes. We just might find out we've got another big payout on our hands," she said.

She sent the data from the spider droid to the Ghost's central computer and pulled up the visual on a Holo display. The readout ran through a series of glyphs.

"Wow," Sabine said. "They have hundreds of codes. I thought we had a lot. They must have someone on the inside- that or at least ten groups of bounty hunters working for them."

"Never mind that," Boba said. "Is there a match?"

She studied it for a just a few seconds longer.

"Here it is!" She exclaimed. "Looks like . . . oh, my great gutkurr."

"What?" Zeb inquired.

"It's a transmission from General Hux to the admiral ordering to station seven star destroyers just one parsec outside of the Lybeya system."

"Karabast! That could only mean one thing," Zeb added.

"I figured as much," Boba said.

"You figured as much?" Sabine blurted. "You knew it was a trap!"

"Honey, it's always a trap."

She huffed. "Well, we need to give them this transmission!"

"No, we don't," Boba dissented.

"Yes, we do! We are not going to let them walk into a death trap!" Sabine shouted.

"And how do you think they will take that?" Boba said calmly. "We just made a deal for information that cost them three million credits, and we had knowledge that it was a trap the whole time. Do you think they are going to be happy with us? No, they will likely consider us criminals again."

"But we didn't know it was a trap until now," Zeb said.

"And how do you suppose we tell them that?" Boba countered. "We didn't know what the transmission said until, of course, we stole your codes. That sounds like it will go over real well."

"Well, we've got to do something!" Sabine huffed.

"I don't see why you think that," Boba said.

"I can't believe you!" she shouted. "Maybe there is nothing in it for you, but there is more than just a payout to think about. The Resistance may be sending their entire fleet to accomplish this."

"Oh, I doubt the general would be as foolish as that," Boba stated.

"At least half the fleet! This could be the end of any reasonable opposition to the First Order. Thousands of people may die because of this!"

"So," Boba said offhandedly.

"You make me sick," Sabine said, imitating his flat tone. "Zeb and I know what it is like to fight for a worthy cause. You always want a payout, but doing something heroic has its rewards. It may not be three million credits, but it is more valuable. For once in your life, do something for someone else other than yourself! But I don't expect that will change your mind."

She got up and moved for the door, her boots sounding louder than usual.

"Come on, Zeb. I need some fresh air. It stinks in here."

Zeb smiled and followed her out.

"I'm just glad you weren't referring to me for a change," he commented.


	11. Episode VIII: 11 The Sith Temple

Snoke and Kylo Ren stood in an immense dark hall, fifty meters in length, width, and height. Dozens of large, black pillars stood reticent and foreboding in the room. The air was undisturbed and quenched any noise or vibration. Above them the old Jedi temple on Coruscant was built; the place where the Jedi Council had met for a thousand years before the Jedi Purge at the hands of Darth Vader. This was what used to be the portico of a Sith Temple since buried by the Jedi to prevent anyone from entering it. Even so, the ground was littered with the bones of long-dead Sith.

Snoke, standing just a few inches shorter than Kylo Ren, walked in front of him toward a large door.

"Everything is happening exactly as I have foreseen, My Apprentice," he snarled. "The Resistance will take our bait . . . to their destruction."

His emaciated face grimaced, showing uneven and sharp teeth.

"But one thing remains," he said.

"The Jedi and his apprentice," Kylo Ren said as he stepped over a pile of human bones.

"Yes," Snoke said. "They will come to us, but it is unclear at the moment what you must do. You must find the answer to that."

Snoke stared at Kylo Ren, searching deep into him, but not with his empty eyes. Kylo Ren felt the icy wave of the dark side probing him. He suppressed a shudder.

"This is an ancient temple. Over four thousand years old," he stated.

Kylo Ren hid his curiosity behind an affectation of disinterest.

"This is my temple . . . for I built it." Snoke studied Kylo Ren, observant of his reaction.

"You do not believe me. I sense your distrust," Snoke noted.

Kylo Ren bowed his head, "Forgive me, Master. I find that difficult to understand."

"Then let me teach you," Snoke continued with a provoked demeanor. "Have you ever wondered why the Sith master and apprentice always end with one destroying the other?"

Kylo Ren knew that to be true. If no one else defeated one of them, they always ended their relationship with betrayal and death.

"It is the dance to seek immortality. A dance that I have ordained, though none of them knew it. It is their trial to prove themselves as a true Sith."

They continued to walk amidst the bones.

"These," he gestured to all the bodies, "are my children, as all Sith are. I am the father. The Sith. The one to whom they all strive to be like. For centuries they have searched for immortality found only in the dark side. Your grandfather, Darth Vader, sought it. His Master, Darth Sidious, sought it. His Master, Darth Plagueis, sought it. But I am the only one to have found it. And with each new awakening of the Force, I arise again."

They came to a large portcullis at the far end of the hall.

"These masters and apprentices have killed each other in betrayal," Snoke stated and glared at Kylo Ren.

"Do you know why I have told you all this?" he asked Kylo Ren.

"No, Master."

"Because it is for you to enter the Sith Temple. You will be tested, as all apprentices are. You will go in as Kylo Ren. But when you come out, you will be either my loyal servant or my enemy. If a servant, so be it. But if you exit and rise against me, you must know what kind of enemy awaits you. And what your fate will be."

Kylo Ren noticed a set of bones at Snoke's feet still grasping onto an ancient lightsaber, its head severed.

"I understand, My Master."

With that, Snoke lifted the portcullis with the Force. Kylo Ren entered. Snoke then closed the portcullis behind him. They could see each other through the openings.

Kylo Ren ignited his lightsaber for light, the bloody cross-bars erupting out the sides.

"Excellent," Snoke grimaced. "Now go and let your anger and fear guide you to your destiny."

He watched through the portcullis as Kylo Ren descended into the darkened tunnel. The red glow of this lightsaber was swallowed by darkness in the distance.

The walls of the temple had been marked with lightsaber gashes and claw marks; the signs of ancient Sith apprentices guided by their anger. Kylo Ren began to hear malevolent voices, from somewhere just outside of the red light, before and behind him; whispering just loud enough for him to hear, but low enough for him to question their verity.

"He is using you," a familiar male voice echoed.

Kylo Ren glanced around searching for the voice.

"You are my son," the voice said.

"Shut up!" Kylo Ren cried out and rushed forward.

He came to a wide open space where the walls and roof were hidden by the dark void. A narrow path of stone descended into the darkness, on either side a deep dark chasm with no bottom visible. A short way along, the slightly declining path split and headed in two directions. Kylo Ren stopped, unsure of which way to go.

He sat down on the ground and began to dwell on his hate and fear, for there was plenty to meditate on. He hated his father for tempting him to the light. All the more, he hated himself for his failures to abide Snoke's teaching. Above all, he feared Snoke, the Master of his fate. Kylo Ren allowed that fear to grow into anger toward his father, then himself, and ultimately to Snoke; and with that anger, he drew from the dark side of the Force looking for which path to take. Then opening his eyes, there was light far away at two passages, one to his left and the other to his right. Although in the dark, he could not see the paths connect to either door forty yards away; he assumed either path led to their respective exits.

Then out of the passages came two silent figures, wrapped in pallid light: on his left, Leia, his mother, and on the right, Luke Skywalker, his old master. It was obvious to Kylo Ren which path he should take. He walked swiftly and confidently down the path to his right. The ghastly light in the passageway receded; and Luke disappeared, so that when Kylo Ren arrived at the door it was vacant.

Kylo Ren found the passage to descend even further, always going down and becoming colder and more damp until he reached a domed room with a dark pool. The water, if it could be called water, was black and thick. Something dwelt in the pool- something evil, something ancient. Kylo Ren felt the creature's rage.

He reached into the pool with his anger, calling out the monster. It obeyed and began to surface. A black humanoid creature rose in the pool, slimy and glistening in the red glow; but the slime was only a coating from the thick water. It began to fall off of the creature in great coagulated masses, revealing a hooded head, then robes, then a man. It removed its hood to show its face: Luke Skywalker.

Kylo Ren raised his lightsaber, "So this is my test."

"I will not fight you," Luke said.

Kylo Ren gritted his teeth. "Then you will die!"

Kylo Ren, holding his lightsaber with two hands, lunged toward Luke. Not knowing how it happened, he saw that Luke had side-stepped the attack. He attacked again, swinging across then downward, but with no success.

"What game are you playing, Old Man?" Kylo Ren goaded as he lost sight of Luke.

"What game are you playing, Padawan? Pretending to embrace the dark side?" Luke said from behind him.

Kylo Ren screamed, spun, and swung, his fury rising. "I'll show you the dark side."

Luke always escaped unharmed. Kylo Ren flailed and missed a dozen more times.

"I have found a new apprentice," Luke said. "She is stronger than you are."

Kylo Ren, seeing the futility of attacking, lowered his weapon.

"She has replaced you, and she will defeat you."

"Foolish, Old Man," Kylo Ren shouted. "The dark side has made me powerful. More powerful than even her."

"You are not a servant of the dark side, Ben. You deceive yourself. She has defeated you, and she will defeat you again."

With that, Kylo Ren gave full vent to his rage and gave himself over to it. "You lie!"

His eyes became yellow and red; the dark side was taking control. He leaped at Luke, one hand out to grab with the Force, the other at his side for a direct stab with the crimson lightsaber.

A green lightsaber flashed and parried the attack. Luke pivoted to face Kylo Ren, who had landed with his side to Luke. Luke made a horizontal attack, his bright blade streaking from the left in a shaft of green light.

Kylo Ren spun and blocked, their lightsabers locked for a moment, throwing red and green sparks. Kylo Ren placed his foot on the wall behind them and pushed Luke away.

Luke fell back into the black pool, which only seemed to be a few inches thick now. Kylo Ren pursued. He attacked repeatedly with furious mania. Luke stepped back with each block, unable to return any blows.

Kylo Ren swiped high and across from the right, then low and downward. Luke blocked the first strike, but the second took Luke's leg at the knee, burning through the flesh and bone. Luke angled to the ground, another swipe severing his right arm, his lightsaber lost. He collapsed to the ground, looking up to his conqueror.

Kylo Ren's Force driven eyes, filled with anger, glared at his former master.

"I am not your Padawan anymore." He raised his lightsaber for the final blow.

"There is still good in you." The voice was not Luke's but a woman's.

On the ground, with her severed leg and arm, lay his mother.

"There is still good in you, my son."

The red and yellow of his eyes faded to brown.

"Mother," he said low and almost inaudibly.

"Come back to me, Ben."

Seeing her lying, mangled as she was, created an unexpected emotion in him. A tear fell down his cheek.

Leia's form began to grow dark and glistening, as she melted back into the thick mud of the pool. It slipped away between Kylo Ren's legs back into the murky water.

Kylo Ren approached the portcullis from the dark passage, his lightsaber still lit for light. Snoke knew of his arrival and opened the gate.

"And who are you now?" Snoke questioned.

"Your servant, My Master." Kylo Ren replied.

"How are you so sure?"

"Your pet creature in the black pool, I have defeated." Kylo Ren chose his words very carefully. "And I know what we need to do to draw the Jedi and his apprentice."

"Really now," Snoke stated with no emotion.

"I will send two of my knights, Tanut and Kiam, to the prison planet of the Stygeon system."

"Very good," Snoke said as if he knew already what Kylo Ren was planning.

"We need Rey's mother." Kylo Ren guarded his emotions.

Snoke studied him with the dark side.

"We shall certainly see," he commented.


	12. Episode VIII: 12 It's Been a Long Time

Finn sat on his lower bunk opposite a green-skinned, amphibious Nautolan. They were engaged in a serious game of Moebius chess, and Finn was deep in thought. It was a common game among the Resistance fighters, as it was easy to pack with the tiny holographic board, unlike the holo-table used for the game Dejarik. Although gambling was frowned upon, that did not prevent it from occurring. Even Grand Admiral Ackbar was rumored to gamble at chess from time to time.

The black eyes of the Nautolan studied Finn's move, obviously distressed by his options. He moved a small piece across the board and huffed in disapproval. His transceiver beeped. Balk looked at it and turned it off, not appearing to be anything important.

Finn, confident and celebrating internally, quickly made his move- the last move.

"Well, that's it," the Nautolan resigned. He pulled out a few credits and laid them on the game board.

"You almost had me, Balk," Finn complemented. "Try guarding your commander next time."

"Next time," Balk huffed, "We'll see. I've got to get ready for the briefing. What do you expect it'll be?"

"Same thing as always, Balk: new orders," Finn said. "Beyond that, haven't a clue."

With that, they gave each other a friendly salute, and Balk left. Finn began putting the game away.

"New orders? I've heard about that . . . Captain Finn." A female voice said playfully into the sleeping quarters.

He turned and looked up to see Rey in his doorway. His face brightened, and he dropped the game. It fell apart on the floor; the fragmented pieces bouncing and scattering under the bunks did not concern Finn. He did not care about such things now that he had heard that familiar voice again.

"Rey! What . . . When did you get here?"

He stepped instantly up to her and hugged her warmly. She closed her eyes and returned the hug.

"Just a few hours ago. I heard you were here, so I came first thing to find you."

"Well, come in, come in," Finn clamored to pick up the game and fix the bunks. More pieces ricocheted deep under the bunk as his boot swiped them. "Sorry, it's a mess."

She sat down where Balk had been, and Finn returned to his seat.

"So, a captain, now," Rey commented smiling.

"Yeah, it isn't that special," Finn commented awkwardly looking away from her gaze. "But how about you? Are you a Jedi now?"

"Well, it doesn't quite work that way, I don't think." It was her turn to look down and away from him.

Catching her discomfort he was sure to say, "Whatever we are now, I'm glad you're here."

The corners of her lips rose in an almost imperceptible smile, and her eyes returned to his.

"I've missed you." He said but stopped, surprised at what he said.

"I know exactly what you mean." Rey returned. "It would have been nice to have you on Ahch-To with me."

"Really?" Finn said.

"Well, Luke isn't exactly great company. He's a hermit after all."

Finn chuckled, "And a former stormtrooper can be such an improvement."

"Actually, yeah," she returned with a laugh of her own. "As I recall, you are a big deal."

Finn looked at her sheepishly and replied, "Yeah well, maybe not as big of a deal as I had thought before."

"You are enough," Rey added. There was a slight pause as each searched for words to say after that comment but found none. Finally, she asked, "What about the Resistance?"

"Some battles; some successful, some not," he replied, most of him ready for a change of topic.

"There were times when I hoped to be out here, fighting the First Order," she added.

Finn became serious, "And you've seen battle. You know it isn't pretty. Why would you want to be back out here?"

She looked at Finn and paused; but said, "A lot of reasons, I guess."

Balk came back to the doorway.

"Sorry, Finn, I forgot my . . . oh, I'm sorry to interrupt," he said.

"It's okay. What is it?" Finn asked.

"I forgot my transceiver on the bed," he answered.

It was resting on the bunk near Rey. She picked it up and handed it to him. "Thanks, miss. Finn, We're going to be late. You better get ready," Balk suggested.

"Yeah, you're right. See you there." He replied.

Balk left.

"Sounds like I need to go," Rey said. "But I'll see you there."

"You're going to the briefing?"

"Didn't you know? I've been assigned under your command, Captain."

….

Luke and Chewbacca arrived in Leia's chamber room, a twenty-foot circular room with a round, center table, which Leia had used for discussing strategies and plans with officials.

Grand Admiral Ackbar and two other admirals were exiting as Luke and Chewbacca arrived. Leia, seeing them, rushed to greet them, not caring how she might appear to the admirals.

"Luke," she cried and embraced him right away. He gladly returned her affection with a hug of his own. Chewbacca not being able to contain himself, wrapped his arms around both of them, his furry arms covering Leia's face and Luke's shoulders.

"It's been a long time," Luke said.

"Too long," she added. "Come in. We need to talk."

They all entered and sat around the table. Leia was always quick to get to business and set aside everything else. She was a woman of war, and as general she was used to setting aside her desires for the good of the galaxy.

"Luke, I wish I had the luxury of just sitting and catching up. I've missed you. We all have," she started. Chewbacca petted Luke's hair to show his agreement. Luke reached over and patted him on the shoulder.

"But we need you, and there isn't much time," she said.

Luke looked fearful of disappointing her. "Leia, I am not joining your fight against the First Order. I don't do that anymore," Luke said.

"In any other situation, I wouldn't ask you," Leia replied. "But this is different. You know why I need you."

Luke contemplated a moment, pregnant with thought before birthing the word, "Ben."

Chewbacca let out a low moan.

Leia rubbed her temples. "Yes, but not only that. We are making an attempt on Snoke and Ben. No one here is capable of taking on the two of them. We need the help of the Jedi."

"I don't know if I can," Luke said with a low voice. "You don't understand. The ways of the Force are changing. I am not sure I even understand anymore."

"Did you have problems training Rey?" she asked, inferring that there was a problem.

He sighed. "She is powerful- more powerful than any I have ever seen. She learns directly from the Force without instruction. But she is also full of fear and anger. I sense a great danger coming. If she faces Snoke, I do not know what will happen, but I am afraid that she will fall."

"I have already assigned you and Rey to Captain Finn for a special mission; but if what you feel is true, I will remove the two of you," she said.

"I'm afraid it won't matter. You cannot stop Rey. Once she finds out about her assignment, she will be determined to go. Then I must also."

"Does she know about her parents?" she asked.

"No," Luke replied, running his fingers through his hair nervously.

"You should have told her," Leia stated.

"I'm afraid. I don't want to lose her like I lost your son."

Leia furrowed her brow. "What was it that you said Yoda taught about fear?"

Luke bowed his head.

"I need to help Rey if I can, but if you place me in Ben's path, I don't know what will happen," he warned Leia. "I can't promise you I can bring him home; if that is what you want me to do."

Leia bowed her head. "I don't think that you can."

Her voice became soft so as to be hardly heard and she paused. "After he killed Han, I'm afraid we can never bring him back. I want to hope; but at some point, there is no hope left."

She allowed a few tears to fall. She took a deep breath, then wiped them away and straightened herself. "You must go with Rey, protect her if need be. But if you meet Ben in battle, I understand that you must do what you must. I will accept that."

Luke reached over the table and grasped her hands.

"Maybe we should not lose hope, Leia. Of all people, you and I should know about hope."

Chewbacca howled a cry that showed he himself knew what losing hope was.


	13. Episode VIII: 13 Battle Preparations

The council room was the largest room on the station and easily fit a hundred people. It was part of the large center station and consisted of a central holographic projector surrounded by benches angling up and away from the center so that anyone present had an unobstructed view. At this time, it was filled almost to capacity with ranks from the Grand Admiral Ackbar down to squadron leaders.

Leia stood grim and stern in the middle, beside the holo-projector. Seated in the front row behind her, sat Boba, Sabine, and Zeb. Boba had his right foot rested on his knee and his arm draped over the chair behind Sabine, an insolent air surrounding him. Sabine, however, leaned forward, resting her chin on folded hands, concern and chagrin descending heavily on her. Across from them sat Chewbacca, Luke, Rey, Finn, and Poe. To each side of Leia, a few generals, admirals, and the Grand Admiral Ackbar sat.

Leia waited until everyone was present before she began.

"Fellow Resistance fighters, today will be a day to direct the trajectory of the future of this galaxy. We are about to embark on the most important mission to date."

She motioned for Boba, Sabine, and Zeb to stand up.

"We have received a coded transmission giving us the opportunity to strike the heads of the First Order at a moment when they are the most vulnerable. These friends of the Resistance, Boba Fett, Sabine Wren, and Garazeb Orrelios, have provided for us this valuable data, I am sure at quite a cost to them." Leia made sure to hide her sarcasm, but the intent was not lost on Sabine and Zeb. However, Leia was not about to let them off so easily. "This battle may still be a difficult one, and some of you may not be coming home. But I am proud of each and every one of you who fights with me. You know what it is that we fight for." She turned to Boba, Sabine, and Zeb. "We could use all the help we can. Can we count on you to join us?" There it was. Leia, although she had been bested in the negotiation with Boba, was not about to let Boba, Sabine, and Zeb get away without showing everyone who they really were. They may have clean records, but she was not going to let them have a clean reputation as well.

The hall remained silent for what seemed like twenty minutes to Sabine and Zeb, but was really only a few seconds. Sabine shifted her weight uncomfortably and Zeb stared at the floor. All eyes were on them.

Boba broke the silence, "I regret to say that we already have plans."

"I'm sure you do," Leia said sternly.

Boba smiled with a cocky air, that made Leia's blood boil.

"Then I must ask you to leave the council room, as we will be discussing plans that do not pertain to you. Thank you."

With that Leia looked to the holo-projector and waited for them to leave. Boba, Sabine, and Zeb exited; a confident man, followed by the other two, obviously embarrassed.

Once they had left and the door had shut behind them she began again as if continuing without the pause. "Our analysis has verified the transmission, and outside communications we have show the contents to be true. The star destroyer Finalizer will be stationed in the Outer Rim system of Lybeya."

The holo-projector illumined a large orange planet, elliptical in shape, floating next to an impressive asteroid belt.

"The Finalizer will be harboring the three heads of the First Order: Snoke, General Hux, and Kylo Ren."

The council room began to murmur, but the murmuring ceased as they had noticed that Leia waiting for their attention.

"This report shows that only the star destroyer will be stationed here," she said. "The exact details as to why they are here, we don't know. We have many speculations, but no certainties. For this reason, our mission must be swift. As to the details of the operation, I will leave that to Admiral Ackbar to explain."

She moved to make way for the Mon Calamari and sat by Luke.

Grand Admiral Ackbar started. "Our mission goals are to incapacitate the Finalizer quickly and to negotiate their surrender. If no surrender is possible, then we will destroy her. This planet of the Lybeya system is an uninhabitable gas giant. You will notice it's highly oval shape."

He pointed to the planet, as it enlarged in the projection.

"This is due to the high speed of its revolutions, creating an incredible vortex that will rip any ship entering it to shreds. The gravitational pull of this planet is also immense and is stronger than an Insurgent-class tractor beam. There is no other suitable planet nearby that can sustain life, so there is no place for any escape pods to land if the First Order leadership tries to escape. On the other side of the system, lies the Vergesso asteroid field. Small fighters can manage the asteroid field, but capital ships cannot. Which brings us to our mission."

The holo-projector displayed an image of the Finalizer near the asteroid field, with three Resistance star cruisers on the other side: two Mon Calamari star cruisers, and Recusant-class light destroyer, re-engineered so as not to need a droid brain to control it.

"The plan is to station our capital ships here, keeping the Finalizer up against the asteroid field, preventing their escape. The cruisers will maintain heavy laser fire on the Finalizer weakening its deflector shields, while the B-Wing squadrons will protect the cruisers from TIE attacks. Another group of Naboo fighters will attempt to first take out the communications array, then turbolasers and ion cannons."

The holo-projector showed the movements of all ships performing their designated patterns, ending with a defenseless star destroyer, surrounded.

"Once completed, the Finalizer will be helpless, with no weapons and no means of communicating for help. All remaining fighters will eliminate any droids sent to repair the damage. At this point, one of our commanders will board and negotiate a surrender. Any questions?" A commander raised his hand. "Yes, Commander Tek." Ackbar said.

"Admiral, wouldn't it be faster and safer just to hit it hard with everything we have and finish it off, rather than attempting to incapacitate it?"

Leia stood up to interject. "The way of the First Order is to destroy anything in its way. That is not our way. We will not kill needlessly without giving our enemy an appropriate opportunity for surrender. It just may be that we may save many more lives than we anticipate." Leia looked at Luke. Luke nodded, understanding what she meant.

Ackbar began again, "We are scheduled to leave in eight hours. All individual assignments have been given to the officers. Please report to your command officers and prepare for deployment. You are dismissed, good luck."

The council room emptied, but Leia kept Luke, Rey, Finn, Chewbacca, and Poe behind.

Once everyone had exited and the door lock closed, Leia disclosed further plans.

"The five of you have a special mission and will be leaving before the rest."

Each knew about a secret mission; but this would be the first time they were informed of the details, so they listened intently.

"If the Finalizer is allowed to escape, we will have lost our only chance. That can't be allowed. You will have to infiltrate the Finalizer and destroy the magnetic turbines and the acceleration compensator. That will deactivate the engines and prevent a hyperspace jump," she said as she pulled up schematics for Finalizer. "These are not complete; but, Finn, you know this ship. You know how to get to the engines, do you not?"

"Yes, I do, General," he replied.

"Good, the rest of you are under Captain Finn's command."

"We will have to dock in the side flight bays, which are nearest to the hyperdrive reactor. Could we not just set explosives on that?" Finn asked.

"Not unless you want the whole ship to blow up," she answered, "And besides, you will not be able to move enough explosives to accomplish that."

"That raises the question, how will we even get into the flight bays? The First Order will see us coming." Poe asked.

"We have fitted a cloaking device on the Millennium Falcon to help you approach the star destroyer undetected," Leia informed them.

"A cloaking device on a ship that small?" Finn questioned.

Poe rubbed his hands together, hardly able to contain his excitement.

"It's not unheard of," said Rey, "I would scavenge them off ships about the same size on Jakku. But they were rare."

"So we can just waltz in and out?" Finn questioned.

"Not exactly," Poe said. "Cloaking devices are useful to hide when no one is searching for us. But if we blow the turbines they will be on to us and looking for a rogue ship. In that case, they could find us. If we remember our history from the Galactic Civil War, Moff Tarkin lost his corvette, the Carrion Spike, to rebels; and it was destroyed in spite of having a cloaking device."

"That's the reason you are on this mission, Poe" Leia added. "You will need to be on your game for your escape, as you will be discovered."

"And if we cannot get off the ship?" Luke asked.

"In that case, I hope they opt for surrender," Leia answered.

"If they don't," Luke returned, "You must be ready to do what you must."

Everyone was quiet for a moment taking in that portentous thought.

"We all know the risks," she said with pensive reluctance. "That is all. Are there any more questions?"

No one had any query or comment to add. She nodded to dismiss them, looking with hidden trepidation at Luke.

They stood up to go, but before she left, she was sure to say, "May the Force be with you."

….

The Finalizer rested in the blackness of space, the Vergesso asteroid belt positioned to its starboard side. The gas planet loomed large in the distance to the port side, its orange glow reflecting off the ship. A small pursuit craft exited hyperspace and advanced to a lateral dock toward the front of the star destroyer. Its side engines mounted on the thick stabilizers, pivoted back and forth to direct its approach.

The small craft passed through the shield into a docking bay loaded to each side with TIEs. It came to rest in between the rows, its cockpit facing the interior of the destroyer. Once it had come to rest, a forward bay door angled down from beneath the cockpit, hissing as it descended. The knight, Tanut, was the first to descend, his hooded helmet with a visor covering his eyes. Kiam followed, his hands on the dark cargo. His electro-staff was strapped to his back over his cloak.

A large, armored, black box descended down the ramp, floating a few inches above the ground. A blue light emitted from beneath it and lit the dark, pristine floor. It stood upright, fifteen feet tall and five feet on each side. The front of it was a heavily clasped door with a small control panel glowing to its right.

Standing in front of the pursuit craft stood two figures waiting. One was a hateful and slender man, in a dark officer's uniform, an officer's small cap fitted to his brow: General Hux. The other was Kylo Ren, his mask in place, and his hands clasped behind him.

Kiam angled the large, quadrate object toward them and parked it a few yards away. Tanut and Kiam approached the general and Kylo Ren without any concern for the military convention and no fear of the two men.

"Did you have any difficulty obtaining her?" Kylo Ren questioned.

"None that we couldn't handle," Tanut replied patting his sidearm.

"The Stygeon guards made chase, but I out piloted them," Kiam added.

"Excellent, take her to the master communication room," he ordered.

"Yes, Kylo Ren," Tanut replied. Both maneuvered the black crate away and toward an open bay door.

"She must be powerful if you have to go to that extreme to contain her," General Hux commented.

"It is necessary, but not because of any strength she has, General," Kylo Ren said.

"And do you really think that having her here will lure the Jedi to you?" Hux asked.

"Listen, General, I do not question the outcome of your plan to bait the Resistance. Do not question my plan to bait the Jedi," Kylo Ren said with a low growl.

"Then let us wait and see, which trap will catch its intended prey." Hux sneered.

Kylo Ren had had enough. He turned to leave and said, "Just see to it that you do your part."

"Oh, I will." General Hux replied under his breath.


	14. Episode VIII: 14 Reputations

Occasional asteroids escaped the belt and floated into the proximity of the massive star destroyer. Large asteroids were monitored, and if they proved to have a trajectory that would endanger the hull of the destroyer, the turbolasers would take them out. Small asteroids were ignored: even if they hit the side, they would do no damage.

One small asteroid, slightly larger than an escape pod floated so as to pass by the starboard side of the Finalizer. It was too small for First Order analysts to bother with, there being larger asteroids to calculate trajectories for. If it had been monitored, it would have been observed that at rare moments it changed direction slightly with no obvious reason. It continued to get closer until it came to a stop next to the destroyer near an open docking bay.

On the far side of the asteroid, hidden from First Order observers, a very small starfighter was attached, firing boosters to direct the asteroid's movement. The name of the ship was the Phantom, and it was an auxiliary ship, and normally docked into the top rear of its mother ship, a Corellian freighter: the Ghost. It could fit one pilot and four passengers, and currently, it was occupied by Zeb, Sabine, and Boba Fett.

"You know, I'm never going to forgive you for that scene in the conference room," Sabine jabbed at Boba Fett.

"What? Could you think of any other way that it could have gone?" he asked.

"Not really. I know we couldn't say anything," she sighed. "But it was embarrassing."

"Ha! Are you going to complain about your reputation?" he blurted.

"Maybe a little," she said.

"Well, don't you think this cause is worthy of your tarnished reputation?" he said, being sure to remind her of her tirade on him earlier.

"Enough, you two," Zeb interrupted. "We will have to leave this asteroid and attach soon. Are you ready?"

Boba, who was sitting in the pilot seat grabbed an oxygen mask and jetpack and set it next to him.

"Everyone else, suit up," he ordered.

Zeb put on an oxygen mask and his jet pack. Sabine donned her Mandalorian helmet and pack.

"Let me get this straight," Zeb said. "We break their communications, and that somehow ruins the First Order's plans."

"Kind of," Sabine said. "We need to jam their communications. If I can get to the HoloNet operations room, I can rig it to be a jamming device."

"You can do that?" Zeb asked.

"Yeah, that's how the Rebels used to hack into the HoloNet; but instead of transmitting a message, we will transmit a jamming signal," she said.

"And how does that help the Resistance?" he asked.

"Two ways," Boba Fett answered. "If General Leia has any sense, she will see that their frequencies are jammed and realize it's an ambush. And also, the jam will prevent the First Order from calling the rest of the fleet, giving her some time."

"If we couldn't give them a great opportunity against the Order, at least we can give them some time," Sabine said solemnly.

With that Boba Fett cut the conversation short. "We've got to go. Hold on."

He released the Phantom from asteroid and made the quick trip to the side of the star destroyer next to the open bay door and attached to the side.

"It's a quick space jump to the dock, only a few seconds, but don't play around. The face masks aren't intended for long jaunts in space. Move it," Boba ordered as he put on his mask and pack.

"Decompressing," Sabine said as she pressed the release for the door. The air exhaled out of the Phantom and the door opened.

The three of them jumped out the back of the Phantom and activated their packs to send them toward the open dock just twenty yards away. They flew in past the shields and landed just inside the dock. The bay was filled with TIEs lined up on both sides. At the far end, a few squads of stormtroopers were stationed, and the pilots of the TIEs were suiting up readying themselves.

Boba, Sabine, and Zeb quickly ran behind the nearest TIE.

"We can just sneak up behind all of these, but then what?" Zeb asked.

"Just leave that to me," Sabine said, pulling out a few of her bombs and rolled them out behind her as they ran up the length of the dock toward the interior. The exit from the dock was blocked by four stormtroopers.

"I don't think smoke bombs are going to work here," Zeb said.

"Those weren't smoke bombs," Sabine smiled.

The first explosion blew one of the ion engines off a TIE fighter behind them. The second rolled next to a maintenance supply chest. The explosion sent it flying into the air and through the cockpit of a nearby TIE.

The stormtroopers abandoned their posts and rushed to investigate the explosions, leaving the door unmanned for a moment. Boba, Sabine, and Zeb took advantage and slipped out.

"Follow me," Boba called out. "We don't have a lot of time before these halls will be crawling with troopers. We need to find a personnel transport. Every dock should have one nearby."

"There!" Sabine said pointing to a door at the end of the hallway.

They ran to it and pressed the control panel to call the transport, then ducked into an alcove on one side.

The transport arrived, and the door opened. Eight stormtroopers rushed out, too focused on responding to the docking bay call than to notice the three of them just to the right.

Boba, Zeb, and Sabine slinked into the transport and closed the door.

"Well, that was easy." Zeb huffed. "Sure going to be even easier to head back this way when we're done." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Their transport soon arrived. It's door opened and they cautiously studied the corridor. A few officers and ship personnel were walking away from them. They hurried and moved silently behind them till they came to an intersection.

"The operations room should be right around the corner to the right," Sabine said checking a small readout on her wrist.

Boba Fett peeked out.

"Two guards," he said. "Not very alert, though."

"Let me take care of that," Zeb said. He rushed out around the corner.

Boba and Sabine heard one of the guards make a surprised noise, then a few thumps and nothing.

Zeb reappeared. "Good to go."

They came to the door, finding two unconscious guards crumpled in front of it.

"Dead?" Boba asked.

"Not my style, you know that," Zeb said.

"Yeah, well it is mine," Boba quipped as he pulled out two small side arms and opened the operations room door. Within three seconds, Boba had rushed into the room, fired off a dozen shots and then called out. "All clear!"

Sabine entered. Zeb followed dragging the guards in with him.

"Shut and lock the door," Boba ordered.

Sabine did so.

The room was large, accommodating ten working stations, each recently manned, the defunct bodies lying at each station. Sabine ran up to the closest station, took off her helmet and began working eagerly at the console.

"First, I need to shut down the HoloNet; then I can upload the jamming code." She held out a data chip. "This may take a while. You two will need to watch the entrance."

….

The black container was placed in Kylo Ren's communication room at the front. All six of the knights of Ren were present. Above it, surrounded with darkness, loomed the giant image of Snoke, sneering as he looked down.

Kylo Ren bowed, maskless before him, the knights genuflecting in a semi-circle behind Kylo Ren.

"Everything is happening exactly as I have foreseen. Skywalker and his apprentice are coming even now. Their destruction is inevitable," Snoke said.

"Yes, My Master," Kylo Ren said.

"You will remain with the mother," Snoke began. "Then you-"

His image disappeared and they were all in darkness.

Kylo Ren arose and looked around baffled.

"The HoloNet seems to be down," Jax said from behind his green Mandalorian helmet.

"Considering what we are here for, it could be Resistance tampering," Tanut added.

"Yes," Kylo Ren stated. "They are here. Jax you report to General Hux, see if you can aid in getting the HoloNet back up. Kiam, report to the flight deck, they will need your flight skills shortly."

They left. Gabo the brute, Lura the sharpshooter, Sikiah the staff-wielder, and Tanut remained.

Kylo Ren walked to the large portable black cell and placed his gloved hand on its cold metal side.

"Your daughter will come to you soon."


	15. Episode VIII: 15 Cloak and Dagger

The Millennium Falcon tore through the blue and undulating hyperspace. Finn, Poe and BB-8 manned the cockpit, reclining, trying to take in the last few moments of peace. But no matter how they made small talk or kicked up their feet, they failed to soothe their systemic trepidation, the anticipation of their mission running through their veins.

Rey entered and took a seat.

"Seems Luke wants to talk to Chewie alone." She said shrugging her shoulders. "What's going on here?"

"Just a few minutes before we exit hyperspace," Poe replied and sat up a little straighter.

"Are we ready?" Rey asked.

"Cloaking device is operational. We'll turn it on when we exit hyperspace. That baby will drain our power reserves in no time," Finn answered.

"That means no shields when it's on," Poe added.

"So your flying better be on point then," Rey said.

"Do you doubt that?" Poe retorted. "That's the one thing that I'm comfortable with in this mission."

Just then Chewbacca could be heard from the passenger bay crying out loudly; a loud mournful cry, followed by a crash.

"What the . . ." Finn got up to go back and look.

Rey stopped him. "I think they are working something out."

"What?" Finn asked.

"I don't know," Rey followed, "but I don't think we need to get involved. Trust me. You don't want to get near a Wookiee when he's upset."

Finn reluctantly agreed and sat down.

The Falcon came out of hyperspace forthwith. The oval planet was in view with the asteroid belt nearby. Floating inauspiciously in front of the belt, the Finalizer loomed largely. Occasionally a stray laser blast could be seen ending the life of an asteroid.

"Activating cloak," Poe said and flipped a few switches.

"Okay, time to get to work," Finn said.

As they approached the destroyer, its size growing and growing, the true perspective of its size dawning on Rey for the first time, as the face of its port side filled the view screen.

"We'll enter one of the side bays," Finn said. "Those are the flight bays for TIEs. There should be some empty bays, and we'll enter one of those."

However, to their dismay, it did not work out that way. They flew by each bay on the port side, and again and again they were filled with TIE fighters.

"That's odd," Rey said.

"Not unless they were planning for a battle," Finn said.

"They knew we were coming?" Poe asked, frustrated as he realized the First Order's plan.

"We have to assume that," Finn replied.

"What do we do?" Poe inquired.

Finn thought a moment. They flew passed another full bay.

"Continue with the mission. Fly under the ship to the loading bay. With all this preparation, that bay should be empty."

"Got it, Captain," Poe said.

As Finn had predicted, the bay was mostly empty except for a half dozen freighter ships and a few guards and workmen at each door.

The Falcon hovered up into the bay, its cloaking device still on. If anyone had been on alert, they would have seen it. Its translucence was not perfect and would have looked like heat waves to any observer. The light bent unnaturally around the ship, but it was adequate enough to hide suspicion.

"Park there in between those freighters," Finn ordered.

Poe landed easily, but the clangorous sound of the support arms coming to rest on the bay floor made him wince. A few First Order personnel looked up but did not see anything obvious and went back to their work.

"We will need to turn the cloak off," Finn said.

"Then they'll see it," Rey pointed out.

"If they happen to notice it partially visible, then we're done," Finn said. "At least this way they may assume that it's supposed to be here."

Luke entered the cockpit.

"I see we have arrived," he commented.

"It's time to go," Finn said. "Let's move."

They all attached packs to their backs, filled with explosives for the mission. As the bay door opened, the five of them exited, followed by the astromech droid.

Poe turned to BB-8. "Sorry buddy, you need to guard the ship. Got it?" he said to the droid.

BB-8 seemed to nod, a robotic arm ejecting and offering a small salute. He beeped and returned to the inside of the Falcon.

The rest hurried along behind the freighters and approached the exit. Two guards stood at attention. Finn and the rest stopped, crouching behind a cargo pad.

The guards turned their heads abruptly and looked away.

"Did you hear that?" one said.

"Yeah," said the second. "Let's check it out."

They readied their weapons and walked off away from Finn and the others. Finn looked to Rey.

"Did you do that?" he asked.

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

Finn returned the smile. "Alright, let's go."

They ran out the door into the corridor with cautious speed.

"We can't sneak around corridors all the way to the engine room. We're bound to get caught. We need to go to the TIE fighter storage deck. It runs the length of the ship, and there is hardly any personnel monitoring it. Follow me," commanded Finn.

They moved through sparsely occupied corridors, but for a few soldiers and lesser crew members that were easily distracted with Jedi mind tricks.

"Why don't we just let them do their mind control on everybody in the corridors," Poe asked, referring to Luke and Rey, "instead of going to the TIE deck?"

"For a few soldiers it is okay," Luke responded, "but what if we run into a squad? Or droids?"

"Good point," Poe agreed.

In short order, they found the entrance to the TIE storage deck. It was a long corridor at least a thousand meters in length and filled with TIE fighters hanging from large reinforced supports both on the walls and ceilings, as well as a complete set sitting on the ground. Huge mechanical arms were moving TIEs from the top and transporting them to the flight bays to be ready for battle.

"There must be hundreds of them in here," Rey commented.

"There are," Finn confirmed. "We need to run down at least twenty exit ports before we are close to the engine room. That's about eight hundred meters. We need to hurry."

They all started to run, toward the back of the ship.

They did get farther than two exit ports before Rey stopped in her tracks. Her eyes were wide, expressing a hint of terror.

"Did you hear that?" she asked everyone.

"Hear what?" Poe asked.

"That voice . . . It called me." Rey answered.

"I didn't hear anything," Finn said. "We need to keep moving."

"It sounded like it came from out there." She pointed out the exit port; her hand trembled.

"There's nothing out there but the transport to the officer's quarters and council halls," Finn informed her. "You don't want to go that way. You probably are just nervous and hearing things."

"No!" Rey protested. "I didn't just hear it. It was real!"

Luke looked concerned. "Did you recognize the voice, Rey?"

"It sounded like my mother. Didn't you hear it?"

Luke shook his head reticently.

"I need to go that way!" Rey was acting desperate.

Finn softened and looked at her directly. "Do you really need to go?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Then go. But you must be careful. I can't lose you," he said gravely.

"I know; the mission."

"No. You don't understand. I can't lose you," he reiterated.

She looked at him, not sure what to say.

"Luke," Finn said. "Go with Rey, and both of you give us your packs."

He nodded. Both of them handed over their explosives to Chewbacca and Finn. Luke pulled out Anakin's lightsaber. He had intentionally brought his father's lightsaber instead of his own. They then exited out the door. Finn and Rey looked at each other until they were no longer in view.

"Alright," Finn refocused. "Let's get going."

….

Sabine hurried to load the jamming signal into the console. It was taking longer than expected. Zeb and Boba were getting uncomfortable standing to each side of the door.

"Almost there," Sabine said through her helmet. A few moments later, "Got it."

"Alright," Boba said. "Now we get back to the Phantom. But we'll have to get to it from the neighboring bay since they will be swarming to clean up the mess where we came from."

"That's a bit of a space flight for our masks to handle," Zeb said. "Don't you think?"

"It's our only chance," Boba countered. "Just check your packs to make sure you got enough juice to make the flight."

The door then opened. Standing in the entrance stood Jax who had been ordered by General Hux to diagnose the communication problem. He noticed Sabine at the console and drew his blaster, firing two instantaneous shots at her. One glanced off the side of Sabine's helmet. She fell in an eruption of purple smoke. Her helmet started to squeal with feedback, as the shot had affected the radio; but she could not take it off now that she had detonated her smoke bomb.

"Still playing the same hide and seek game, huh?" Jax said. He could hear the feedback from her helmet.

He aimed toward the noise, smugly confident.

Zeb, who had quickly strapped on his mask, grabbed him from the side, causing the blaster fire to veer to off target and ricochet off a console. Zeb saw a flash of light as Jax's boxed him in the ear. He fell back, and then he looked up to see Jax lighting up his red lightsaber as it blazed in the purple haze.

Sabine fired a shot, now that she could see the lightsaber in the fog. Jax deflected it into the wall and fired toward the sound.

Zeb leaped up to wrench the lightsaber arm and twisted it, trying to keep the blaster arm away. Zeb's strength as a Lasat was more than Jax could manage. The lightsaber dropped and extinguished, disappearing in the fog; but Jax managed to get his blaster under him and aimed it up at Zeb's torso.

A blast went off. Jax dropped. Boba Fett, holding a smoking blaster, was standing beside him. He had shot Jax in the side of the neck.

Zeb sighed in relief rubbing his ear. "Well, glad that's over."

"If they sent him, they are already on to us," said Sabine. "We need to get out of here, and we can't go back the way we came. They will likely be watching the transports back to our parking spot. We'll have to go some other way."

"The TIE storage," Boba commented.

"Good idea. Let's get going," Sabine said.

"Not until I get this suit," Boba said looking at the fallen knight clad in Mandalorian armor.

Zeb sighed now in resignation, "Fine, I'll close the door."


	16. Episode VIII:16 Legacy of an Inquisitor

Rey and Luke had gone through the transport to the officer's deck. Surprisingly, the hallways were largely empty. A stray officer would cross at an intersection but would always seem hurried. Rey continued to hear the voice calling her, and she pursued with no other thought. Her steps became more rushed the further they went.

"She's getting louder," Rey said.

"Calm yourself," Luke advised. "Do not let your emotions rule you."

Luke noticed the intersecting corridors had more personnel than the one they were traveling as if they were endeavoring to keep the path clear. "I've got a bad feeling about this," he muttered to himself.

"There! I saw her!" she exclaimed and began to run down the gray corridor.

Luke ran after her calling out for her to wait. She turned to her left and down another empty corridor with one large closed armored door.

"She went in here," Rey said as she went to the control panel.

Luke catching up said, "Wait, Rey. Something's wrong."

She heedlessly opened the door, not caring for his concern. An immense room opened before them, filled with darkness. She could see no walls and no ceiling in the dark. However, centered in the room was a large black container.

"I know that container," she said, recognizing it as the portable cell she had seen in the Jedi temple. She ran to it with excited and quick steps and punched in the command to open the door. The black doors cracked and gasped as air exited. They opened slowly, gliding to each side. Rey stood in desperate anticipation, her fingers gripping the fabric at the edge of her tan uniform. The doors opened. Rey's eyes widened and her mouth gaped. She took a step back and raised her hands to her mouth. The opened revealed, not an imprisoned mother, but a desiccated and gaunt woman encased in a transparent green capsule, her eyes closed and her arms crossed over her breast. She was lifeless. But Rey realized that it was the same woman that had led her here. It was her mother.

"NO! NO! NO!" she cried out and began pounding on the glass with the butt of her staff.

"I am glad that I get to witness this reunion," a voice interjected, cold and emotionless. "Amazing techniques that the Inquisitors of the Empire have used to lure Jedi. Effective, don't you think?"

Rey and Luke switched their gaze to the darkness at their right. Kylo Ren stepped out, followed by the four knights. Rey's countenance instantly morphed from despair to anger. "Do what you will with the apprentice," Kylo Ren said to the knights. "But leave Skywalker to me."

Luke ignited his father's blue lightsaber giving a bright glow in the darkness. Kylo Ren and the knights advanced, their own lightsabers ablaze with red.

"This is your end, Kylo Ren," said Rey, "and the end of anyone that gets in between me and you."

She held out her staff. A lightsaber blade erupted out of each end. The knights stopped short, and Kylo Ren stared in astonishment. Her lightsaber blades had no color at all. They were void of all light as if they were linear black holes drawing all light into them. Only the aura surrounding them could be seen. She had crafted a black-bladed lightsaber.

….

Finn struggled under the weight of the two packs of explosives. Chewbacca seemed to be a little slower as well. They were always cautious when moving from the cover of one TIE to the next, causing them to sprint, stop, sprint, and stop. The effort was exhausting them, even with Poe and Finn trading packs from time to time. However, their effort saved them many times from being noticed by patrolling guards and droids.

"We can't do this the whole way," he said and tried to come up with another solution. About ten meters ahead was a tool cart used for minor repairs that were too minute for a droid to be called in to fix.

"Alright, let's load all the packs into that," he pointed up ahead. Poe and Chewbacca agreed it was a good idea.

"That's great, but we still will have to sneak around. How about getting some uniforms?" Poe asked.

"Good idea, too," Finn said.

They paused at the end of a TIEs wing, then rushed across the opening as usual; Finn first with his two packs, then Chewbacca, then Poe. Across the way as if in a mirror, Boba Fett newly clad in Mandalorian armor, then Zeb, and then Sabine rushed out. Finn and Boba glanced over at the same time and stopped as they looked at each other. The rest bumped into them.

"What are they doing here?" Poe, the third in line asked.

"What are they doing here?" Sabine, the third in her line asked in unison.

Walking up the center of the TIE fighters were five guards heading toward Finn and his crew. Sabine could see them, but Finn could not.

Sabine raised her weapon and fired at the guards. She hit one. The remaining guards unholstered their sidearms and began pursuit, firing erratically. One pulled out his transceiver and reported intruders.

"What did you do that for?" Boba asked as they started to run.

Boba, Zeb, and Sabine ran for the closest door. Finn, Chewbacca, and Poe were left alone for the moment.

"Did she just help us out?" Poe asked.

"I think she did," Finn answered. They ran to the maintenance cart and emptied it.

"After this, we'll find some uniforms." Finn continued.

Boba, Zeb, and Sabine hurried down a corridor heading for the flight bay. Any stormtroopers they ran into, Boba quickly dispatched with his blaster. Zeb and Sabine tried as best they could to fire behind them at the pursuing guards.

"This is not looking good," Boba yelled.

In front of them, five stormtroopers filled the flight bay door, aimed and fired. Boba, Zeb, and Sabine dove to each side. The pursuing guards did not fare as well and were riddled with blaster fire from the stormtroopers.

A clanging sound bounced at the stormtroopers feet. One looked down to see the round metal ball, but it was too late. The explosion shook the corridor. Boba, Sabine, and Zeb rushed through the burning smoke into the flight bay, the whole place now alerted to their presence.

Boba ignited his jetpack and flew above the parked TIE fighters, spinning around to fire at any incoming stormtroopers, taking out a half dozen.

Sabine threw her two last explosive charges, blowing up the wings of a pair of opposing TIE fighters. They collapsed partially, closing the path behind them. The resulting narrow passage prevented more than three stormtroopers from advancing at a time. However, more stormtroopers were joining the fight every second. She tossed her four remaining smoke bombs and sprinted to the space exit. Eruptions of pink, yellow, and green smoke hid them for a brief moment, but blaster fire continued to light up the smoke, burning the chemical mist.

"We have to be at least two ports away from the Phantom," she called out. "Can we even make it?"

Zeb fired from behind a TIE wing. "I know my mask won't last that long in space."

The troopers began tossing their own thermal detonators now. One bounced within range of Zeb and Sabine. Zeb took cover, but the blast wave threw Sabine out the port into space, her body spinning wildly in the vacuum of space and out of view.

Boba continued to take out the stormtroopers at the narrowed path left by the exploded TIEs. The blaster fire was getting increasingly difficult for him to manage. As he turned to fly to the exit, a shot clipped his pack and sent him spinning into a side wall and to the ground. His pack would be useless in space now.

He held on to his shoulder, his left arm bruised from the crash, and stood up.

"Looking bleak," he called to Zeb.

"You're telling me!" Zeb returned.

The smoke was beginning to clear from Sabine's bombs as multiple squads of stormtroopers flooded forward. The enemy fire was so thick that Zeb could not even return fire at this point. Instead, he had to just take cover behind the TIE wing.

Boba bent to aim the rocket missile from his Z-6 jetpack and fired. As it hit one of the fallen TIEs, the explosion cracked the floor and removed nearly fifteen troopers from the battle. That bought them some time to breathe, but the alarms sent troopers from every nearby post to them. Within moments Boba and Zeb were again reduced to hiding from blaster fire, with no hope of firing back.

At that moment, laser blasts from outside the ship shot through the open space port, causing squads of the stormtroopers to be launched in multiple directions at the impact. The Phantom hovered into the bay. It lowered to the ground, as the rear door opened. It continued to fire ahead trying to reduce the trooper's blaster fire. Zeb and Boba dove behind it and boarded. The Phantom's door closed, as it spun around to enter space, receiving hits that were mostly harmless. The troopers threw thermal detonators, but it was too late. The Phantom was out of reach.

"Glad that's over," Boba said and removed his helmet.

"Don't rest just yet," Sabine yelled, "and strap in."

The asteroid field was just in front of them, but TIE fighters were beginning to pour out of the star destroyer. The star destroyer's turbolasers were not helping either.

"If only we can just make it to the asteroids, back to where we parked the Ghost," she hoped out loud. She dove and twisted erratically trying to dodge TIE fire and star destroyer fire.

"We can't out maneuver these guys," she said.

However, the TIEs, after chasing for only a few moments, redirected their course for the port side of the star destroyer, leaving the Phantom unpursued.

"What's going on," Zeb asked.

Sabine, trying to look behind her through the cockpit window, could just see one of the Resistance's cruisers surrounded by single pilot fighters.

"Looks like the Resistance just showed up," Sabine said.

An explosion erupted just to their starboard, shaking the Phantom.

"Oh sorry," she said. "I forgot about those turbolasers."

….

The Resistance had arrived with both Mon Calamari cruisers-the Recusant-class light destroyer, and multiple squadrons of B-Wings and Naboo fighters-although Sabine could not see them all.

General Organa was in one of the Mon Calamari cruisers and Grand Admiral Ackbar was in the other. General Organa had ordered immediate fire on the star destroyer by all ships. Upon exit from hyperspace, one turbolaser blast had connected before Finalizer's shields were up.

"The Finalizer appears to have gotten its shields up surprisingly fast," Leia commented.

"General," the commander approaching General Organa.

"Yes, Commander Kale," Leia said.

"Our communications are jammed, General."

Leia was surprised. "Jammed? Why would they be jamming us, unless . . ."

She turned to Kale, "Check to see if they are sending out any transmissions!"

Kale checked with his HoloNet officer. "No, General . . . this is strange. It appears as if their jamming signal is affecting them as well."

Leia did not know what to make of that at first. Then she thought of Finn.

"They must have known we were coming, but someone on the inside has given us some time. Commander, we won't be able to use the HoloNet to communicate right now, but see if you can hail Admiral Ackbar on the Courage and Commander Defal on the Valiance with Ping Code. We won't have a lot of time to get this mission done."

"Yes, General," Commander Kale replied.

"We've got to get that communications array destroyed before the jamming signal is gone." She did not want to say out loud what would happen if they failed.


	17. Episode VIII 17: Anger

The knights rushed Rey, their malignant fury propelling them. Lura the sharpshooter remained behind to lay down sniper fire from a safe distance. Kylo Ren with pernicious intent went after Luke.

Luke called out to Kylo Ren, "I will not fight you, Ben."

"Then you will die," he returned, igniting his crossbar lightsaber.

Gabo charged his electro-knuckles and swung at Rey first with powerful yet predictable attacks. She dodged two swings and deflected a third with her lightsaber, but Tanut with a standard red lightsaber joined the fight and attacked with a downward blow. Rey stymied his bloody blade and pushed him off balance. She spun herself to hit him with the bottom blade of her lightsaber, but Sakiah blocked the attack, her own double-edged red lightsaber sparking under Rey's. Sakiah spun her own lightsaber to take out Rey's legs with the bottom blade, but Rey leaped over Sakiah's blade. The three knights surrounded her, and their attacks were perfectly coordinated to prevent them from injuring each other. Lura crouched to her knee and aimed her precision rifle waiting for an open shot.

Luke parried multiple attacks from Kylo Ren, the blue lightsaber clashing with Kylo Ren's red blade.

"Ben, you don't need to do this," Luke said, always blocking and never offering an attack.

"Shut up, Old Man!" Kylo Ren slashed horizontally.

Luke deflected it effortlessly. Kylo Ren then angled his fatal blade and stabbed. Luke sidestepped and grabbed his arm leaning in close to Kylo Ren.

"There is still good in you," Luke said.

"No!" Kylo Ren pushed him away and attacked with a vertical downward blow. Luke blocked again, the blade of Kylo Ren's grandfather mastering the young assailant.

"Let go of your anger; it is poisoning you." Luke pleaded.

Kylo Ren attacked again. "Save your breath, Skywalker! I am not your Padawan any longer! Snoke has taught me more than you ever did!" Kylo Ren yelled.

Luke had allowed himself to back into the wall but now leapt over Kylo Ren's head, flipped and faced him on the other side.

"Snoke is using you, and you know it," Luke stated.

Kylo Ren screamed and continued his attack.

Gabo swung a few more telegraphed punches at Rey. He was slow and easy to dodge. He jumped, descending with a blow; but he missed, creating a meter diameter dent in the floor. Sakiah swiped over his crouched body for another attack. Rey blocked, returning another attack; but Tanut parried her blow. Rey had to move twice as fast as any of her assailants just to defend.

Rey felt an instant danger through the Force and blindly swung her blade behind her, deflecting a laser blast shot by Lura. Rey quickly grasped the danger. Continuing to block the attacks, she allowed the Force to lead. Lura took aim for another shot, waiting. Her eyes lined down the barrel of the rifle and at Rey's heart, she squeezed the trigger.

Rey Force-jumped into the air, Lura's shot missing her and striking Tanut in the chest. Rey had leapt twenty feet in the air and was coming down directly at Lura. Lura raised her rifle and aimed it directly at Rey's right eye and pulled the trigger. Rey swung downward with her staff, deflecting the blast. She landed in front of Lura. Lura fell over dead, the deflected blast having struck her in the head. She spun around to look at the two remaining knights, who were already coming at her.

Now Rey attacked; two swings on Gabo as she spun her lightsaber. He blocked with his electro-knuckles. She threw a third attack that would have been a fatal blow, except Sakiah had blocked, protecting Gabo. Gabo swung, and Rey side-stepped, pushing him to the side. Rey then stabbed at Sakiah's head, but Sakiah blocked again. Gabo tried to grab Rey around the waist in a desperate attempt allowing Sakiah finally to lunge and attack Rey. Rey kicked and spun, dodging Sakiah's lunge, both blades of her staff slicing through her opponents as she spun. They fell to the ground.

Rey took a moment to huff and catch her breath. Then she looked at Kylo Ren and Luke; and refocused and centered herself in her anger. She surged toward them.

Luke, always backing up from the blows, returned to the center of the room by the open door. Rey rushed in between them. Her lightsaber met Kylo Ren's.

"Now it's your turn," Rey growled at him.

"No, Rey," Luke said.

Kylo Ren smiled. "Out of my way."

"Rey, beware of the dark-" Luke began but could not finish his sentence. Rey had Force-pushed Luke out of the door.

He fell on his back and got up quickly to re-enter the room. Rey used the Force on the control panel to close the door, then she Force-pushed into the door to warp the locking mechanism. Luke immediately tried to use the Force to open the door, but the warped metal resisted him. He then stabbed the door with his lightsaber and began to melt a hole in the door.

….

The corridor was bustling with stormtroopers rushing to the flight bay, because of Boba Fett. However, three people were heading in the opposite direction; Chewbacca, his hands manacled; Finn, dressed as a stormtrooper escorting his apparent prisoner; and a few paces behind, Poe dressed as a First Order mechanic pushing the hovering maintenance cart.

"Why do I have to be the maintenance guy?" Poe complained.

"Be quiet!" Finn whispered loudly.

The star destroyer shook as ion blasts hit its shields from the Resistance ships.

Finn then noticed the oncoming group of troopers. He tensed and straightened himself. In front of him, Captain Phasma marched with two squads of stormtroopers behind her. She approached, eying the three of them. They came up to each other as she marched on. She slowed and looked over at each of them, but obviously studying Finn. He held his breath. She almost came to a stop as they passed, then looked back ahead and resumed a normal march toward the flight bay. Finn could breathe again.

"Hurry," he said to the others and increased his pace.

When they arrived at the engine room, Chewbacca easily knocked out the two guards at the door. They had apparently not expected the Wookiee prisoner to break his manacles so easily. Chewbacca and Finn dragged the guards into the engine room as Poe followed with the cart and closed the door. The room was full of thirty-foot diameter and sixty-foot long cylindrical magnetic turbines, ten in number.

"We need to set the charges on each of these turbines," Finn ordered.

"I would have thought there would have been more of these for a ship this size," Poe commented as he unloaded the packs from the cart.

"There are," Poe said. "These are just the turbines for one of the three main engines. There are eight more small auxiliary engines as well."

"So we won't be stopping this ship?" Poe asked.

"No, just slowing it down and preventing it from jumping to hyperspace."

Poe handed two packs to Chewbacca, "You got it, Chewie?"

Chewbacca vocalized to affirm.

"Both of you," Finn said, "start two-thirds of the way in and work back to the front. I'll get the turbines at the far end. When it's all set, we'll detonate them."

Then he ran off with his heavy pack weighing him down.

It was quick work and Chewbacca and Poe finished before Finn. They returned to the front and started to pack the empty bags back into the maintenance cart.

Chewbacca whined obviously wanting to get out of there.

"I know what you mean, Chewie," Poe said. "The sooner we leave the better."

Chewbacca did not say anything in return.

Poe laughed quietly to himself, "Though I can't believe that ruse pretending you were a prisoner actually worked."

"It didn't," a woman's voice said behind him.

He turned around to see Chewbacca with his arms raised, Phasma and eight stormtroopers holding them at gun point. Poe's face fell as he slowly raised his arms.

"Where is the other one?" Phasma asked.

Poe did not answer.

"FN-2252, FN-2255, and FN-2248 go and search for the third," she ordered.

"Yes, Captain," they replied and ran off, leaving the two others with Phasma.

"What were you doing here?" Phasma asked Poe.

"Spa treatment," Poe said.

She leaned in. "Covering up your fear with insolence, I see. You are right to be afraid. No need to hide it."

Chewbacca growled.

There were series of shots in the back of the engine room, then silence.

"FN-2252? FN-2255? FN-2248?" Phasma radioed.

No one answered.

"He got them," Poe smirked.

Phasma looked at Poe, intrigued.

"He's a good shot, you should know," Poe said.

"Ah, it has to be that traitor FN-2187," she said. "Not much to worry about."

She took off her helmet to reveal a thirty-something-year-old woman's face. Her hair was cut short to a centimeter in length and silver in color. Across the right side of her face and head were three scarred claw marks, that had disfigured her ear and eyebrow.

She called out in a loud voice, "FN-2187! Reveal yourself in the next twenty seconds or I will shoot the Wookiee!"

She turned to Chewbacca and Poe. "On your knees!"

Two of the stormtroopers pushed them forward to the ground in front of the engineering console.

"Fifteen seconds!" she called out. "Ten!"

She raised her rifle and aimed at Chewbacca, her finger on the trigger.

"Wait!" Finn entered into view, his hands on his head.

"Excellent," Phasma grinned. "Get down with the others."

….

Rey leapt with vengeance at Kylo Ren, swinging her staff in a high arc. Kylo Ren blocked and side-stepped, only to have the opposite end of her staff swing at him. He blocked downward and avoided the blow.

"You will pay for what you did!" Rey yelled at him, which gave Kylo Ren an opportunity to attack low. Rey met his blade with hers, crackling sparks spraying onto the dark metal floor.

She attacked again. Kylo Ren shirked the stygian blade with his, but the power of the blow caused him to stumbled back. Her rage was increasing and with it the strength of her attacks. She spun her blade in front of her, trying to take out his feet. He jumped over, the top blade now coming down on him. He held up his blade horizontally, blocked, and pushed. She took a step back, but she was able to maintain her balance.

He held out his hand with crooked fingers. She felt her throat close under the pressure but knew not to fight for breath. A flash of red passed over her eyes. Kylo Ren's grip on her weakened. She threw out her hand and Force-pushed him back ten feet. He landed, but Rey was released from the choke. She was then on him without restraint.

"You killed them!" She cried out. "You killed my parents!"

Flashes of red and yellow became more and more present in her eyes.

Kylo Ren blocked as best as he could but it was not enough, the ferocity of her blows was relentless.

Every attack became more powerful, and arcs of lightning seemed to snap from her clenched fists. Every time their blades connected, it appeared more electricity emitted from Rey's hands.

Kylo Ren continued to step back, fear beginning to be seen in his face.

"It was you!" Rey yelled, "I was abandoned because of you!"

Her eyes succumbed to the red and yellow anger, her brown irises now gone. She swiftly raised her staff and struck Kylo Ren. He closed his eyes. Their blades met. Lightning erupted from Rey's hands and staff, the electricity surging forward and into Kylo Ren's lightsaber and hands. Then the lightning split out into a dozen white arcs, terminating in the wall behind him.

Kylo Ren's lightsaber fell out of his hands, and he fell to his knees under the effort of splitting the lightning. Although he had split most of the lightning attack, his body was still severely injured.

Rey stood over him, holding her black blade to his neck.

"Excellent," Snoke's voice rang out in the darkness. The HoloNets were back on, and it was not certain how long Snoke had been watching.

"You're anger has made you powerful," his voice echoed.

For a moment, Rey could not tell if it was her own thoughts or the voice of someone else. Then Snoke's blue image appeared in his huge hologram, looking down on her with ravenous motives. She looked at him, panting in rage.

"You have done well," Snoke said. "Now kill him."

She looked back to Kylo Ren and raised her lightsaber. Kylo Ren stared in shock at Snoke, recognizing the betrayal.

"Wait! It wasn't me!" Kylo Ren called out holding up his hands in defense.

Rey stayed her blade for a moment of explanation.

"I didn't kill your parents." He looked over his hands. "Luke did."

The tension went out of her shoulders, and she lowered her lightsaber. She looked over her shoulder to see Luke standing there, a red-hot, molten hole having melted through the door behind him. Then a flash of anger again emerged.

"You lie!" she said to Kylo Ren.

"No, no. Your father's name was Ren. He was my friend, and Luke killed him," Kylo Ren quickly uttered. Her eyes returned to their normal shade and her lightsaber extinguished.

"That's not possible," Rey said under her breath.

"It is," Snoke said. "Check your feelings and you will know it to be true."

Luke stood horrified.

"Is it true?" she asked Luke.

"Yes," was the only word he could muster.

"And my mother?" she asked Kylo Ren.

"She was sent away to the Stygeon system where she died in prison," he answered.

She thought a moment as she stared at the floor. She could sense in the Force the truth of what Kylo Ren had said. Her shoulders tensed up again. She lifted her head looking directly at Luke.

"You killed my father!" she accused. Her eyes blazing with red and yellow. "Then you thought you could make it up by training me!"

"You don't understand," Luke began. "You didn't know what kind of man your father was . . ."

He could not finish, Rey interrupting him.

"I didn't know what kind of man my father was!" she screamed at him. Her lightsaber ignited, the dark side corrupting her reason.

Luke threw Anakin's lightsaber down. It rolled toward Kylo Ren, who was still crouched on the floor.

"Yes, Rey," Snoke goaded. "Strike him down with all of your hatred, and you will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

That was the only encouragement she needed. She charged at Luke.


	18. Episode VIII: 18 No One Is To Escape

Immediately after the Resistance fleet had arrived, the First Order emptied its flight bays and fighter storage of its TIE fighters and began their defense of the star destroyer.

The cruisers and _Recusant_ -class destroyer, the Valiance, continued to pummel the shields of the Finalizer, weakening it at every hit. Five squadrons of TIE fighters were assigned to each of the cruisers and Resistance destroyer, while the Finalizer used the full extent of its turbolasers to break through the Valiance's shields.

General Organa waited apprehensively to see which deflector shields would give first. "Position the _Endurance_ and the the _Courage_ in the front and rear of the _Finalizer_ ," she ordered. The message was sent by Ping Code.

The two cruisers moved into position in front and behind, while the Valiance continued its attack on the port side.

She knew an attack on three sides would cause the First Order to spread its power reserves to the front, side, and back deflector shield, causing each to be weaker.

"We've got to get that communication array destroyed before the jamming signal is fixed," she said to her first officer.

Forty B-Wings guarded each of the large ships from the TIEs, the dogfight between them and the TIEs appearing as a swarm of insects. The Resistance B-Wings were almost as agile as the TIE fighters which could fly in any direction instantly. However, even with the TIEs maneuverability advantage, the Resistance fighters were still getting the better of the battle. Soon the TIEs were outnumbered three-to-one, and so began their retreat to the Finalizer.

The Naboo squadrons circled the Finalizer at a distance so as to avoid being an easy shot for the turbolasers, but they were close enough to send proton torpedo's into the shields. They also had their hands full with TIE fighters, chasing them down in defense of the star destroyer. These red Naboo fighters could out run the TIEs, but they could not out maneuver them in the least. As long as they continued circling the star destroyer and the number of TIE fighters did not crowd the battlefield, the Naboo fighters could hold their own and continue their work on the shields.

The shields were weakening. Every hit creating a less vivid blue ripple in the shield. The Resistance had experienced mild losses, having lost fifteen B-Wings and seventeen Naboo fighters. The only large ship to have had any appreciable damage was the Valiance, having sustained thirty percent damage to its deflector shields.

The turbolasers continued their onslaught on the _Finalizer_ , until finally, they connected with the ship, causing an explosion on the front port side.

"The shields are down," General Organa said. "All fighters attack that communications array!"

The Naboo fighters rushed in, trying to manage the turbolasers as they came up on the top surface of the star destroyer. Many of them succumbed to the near laser fire and evaporated in a burst of flames.

The commander approached General Organa. "General?"

"Yes, Commander Kale," she said.

"The HoloNet is back up, General," he said.

Her eyes widened. "Check the skies!" she ordered her command bridge.

"General," one of the officers replied, "seven star destroyers have exited hyperspace Sector Four."

Leia realized their time had run out. She hailed Grand Admiral Ackbar and Commander Defal to command an immediate retreat. They had no chance against a fleet of seven star destroyers.

….

Finn took his place on his knees with his hands still behind his head next to Poe and Chewbacca in front of the engineering console. Chewbacca whined, and Poe looked down defeated.

"So," Phasma said, "here we are again."

Five stormtroopers aimed their weapons at them.

"I bet you found it easy to get on this ship. Seems command wanted you to get on for some reason, but that doesn't mean we'll let you get away."

She leaned down to Finn close to his face. "Looks like you failed again, FN-2187 . . . Oh, forgive me . . . Captain FN-2187."

Finn said nothing, but he did not look distressed in the least. Phasma noticed. Her eyes squinted and pierced Finn. She was not used to confidence in her presence.

"You appear to have some heroic delusion, FN-2187. How is that?" she inquired.

"You talk too much," he quipped.

Phasma's anger was evident, "What did you say?"

"Oh, I'm sorry . . .You talk too much, Phasma!" Finn replied confidently.

"Shoot the other two!" Phasma yelled.

Finn pressed a button on the detonator hidden in his hand behind his head.

The engine room shook violently as the explosions erupted. The troopers and Phasma flew back and hit the ground. Finn, Poe and Chewbacca, already on the ground behind the console were protected for the most part from the blast. Chewbacca jumped up to grab a stormtrooper who was the first to right himself. He got behind the trooper, his arm around his neck, and grabbed his firing arm. The two other troopers took aim and fired. Chewbacca, using his trooper as a shield, caused the trooper's weapon to fire and shoot the other two. Their shots landed in Chewbacca's human shield; leaving open, seared holes in the trooper armor. Poe had tackled a trooper as he fumbled to get up, knocking the trooper's blaster away. Poe saw the blaster and left the trooper to chase it down. The trooper caught hold of his foot and Poe used his hands for balance as he fell forward. Another trooper arose and aimed at Poe. Poe's hand reached the blaster. He rolled on his back and squeezed the trigger blindly aiming at the standing trooper; the red blaster shot hit its mark in the trooper's chest. He fell to the side, his armor clanging on the hard floor. Poe then aimed at the one on his foot. That trooper let go and held up his hands.

Finn charged and tackled Phasma. He landed a few heavy punches to her unmasked face. She did not flinch, smirking instead at the hits. She elbowed him in the face and rolled him off of her toward one of the dead troopers. She got on him, pinning his torso to the deck; a blaster rifle still in her hand. Then she hit him repeatedly in the face with the butt of her blaster rifle. Finn seemed to give up and breathed heavily, blood dripping from his brow. She aimed the rifle at his head.

"Cannon fodder," Finn whispered.

"What?" Phasma yelled.

A blaster went off. Phasma looked down, a hole present in her chest plate. Finn had grabbed the side arm from the dead trooper next to him and had fired. Phasma's scarred face betrayed her utter confusion momentarily, then morphed into fear as her body fell to the side. She tried weakly to hold herself up with her arm and then collapsed.

Finn pushed the rest of her off of him and stood up. He looked around at the dead bodies and Poe with his prisoner.

"Chewie," he called out, "put those manacles on him." He pointed to the trooper.

"Can't I get his armor?" Poe inquired.

"Not enough time. We've got to get out of here fast," Finn replied.

Poe cursed under his breath.

"Contact BB-8, and see if Luke and Rey are back," Finn told Poe.

He did.

BB-8 responded with a few electronic beeps.

"They're not back," Poe informed Finn.

Finn held up his transceiver. "Luke! Rey!"

There was no response. Finn looked concerned.

"We will need to make a side trip on the way back to the Falcon," Finn said.

"What about getting out of here fast?" Poe asked.

"We are not going to leave anyone behind," Finn stated flatly.

….

General Hux stood confidently on the command bridge as he observed the on going battle. The shields failing concerned him, as was the damage to one of the main engines but neither caused him to waver into fear, for he knew the victory was in his grasp. Prior to fixing the jamming signal, Hux may have had a moment of anxiety; but since the arrival of Admiral Dentin and the rest of the fleet, Hux knew that his plan was going to succeed. He noticed the break in the Resistance's formation at the arrival of the fleet and correctly reasoned that they were scrambling to retreat. He proudly knew that General Organa was scared.

He hailed the lead star destroyer of the fleet. "Admiral Dentin."

"Yes, General," she replied.

"The Resistance has seen your arrival. They are abandoning the _Finalizer_ and are about to jump into hyperspace. Station the star destroyers in a perpendicular ring around the Resistance forces so they can't escape except to head toward the planet or the asteroids. Whichever way they go follow them."

"Yes, General. And if they decide to split their forces?"

"Then I will close off their path to the asteroids, and we will push them into the planet."

"Yes, General," Admiral Dentin assented.

"No one is to escape," General Hux ordered.

….

Leia knew exactly what the First Order was attempting as the star destroyers moved into formation. She sent the orders to escape with all speed and to jump to hyperspace at their first chance wherever they could get to. But it was too late. The star destroyers were faster than the Mon Calamari cruisers and the _Valiance_. The individual fighters could escape, and a few did. However, many remained behind to defend their general.

The star destroyers opened fire on the large Resistance ships as they tried to evade the armada. Each Resistance ship took heavy fire, as their hulls lost integrity and people were pulled into space through the open holes left by the explosions. Added to that, the flight bays of each star destroyer poured out with TIE fighters, too many for the remaining B-Wings and Naboo fighters to have any chance. Even though the Resistance fighters were better pilots, it did not matter if each pilot shot down five TIEs for every one Resistance fighter, the battle was being lost and quickly.

The large, oval planet grew larger in their viewscreen and Leia knew they would all be sucked into its maelstrom of its atmospheric currents. The battle was lost.

"All Resistance ships," she hailed, "Come to a full halt and take your stand here. If we are to die, let us not die in retreat, but let us take out as many of them as we can. Direct all fire at the _Finalizer_!"

The Resistance fleet stopped. Unfortunately, the _Valiance_ was already too close to the planet, caught in its gravity pull. Escape pods could be seen abandoning the ship, but it was too late for them as well. The gravity gripped the escape pods; and they circled in descending orbit, their doom inevitable. The Recusant-class destroyer angled down, the front hull beginning to be battered by the planetary winds, which then began to bend and rip the hull in shreds, as it descended deeper and deeper into the planet. Finally, the ship was consumed, leaving nothing but jagged and torn metal debris.


	19. Episode VIII: 19 Heroes and Villains

Rey advanced swiftly toward Luke, the dark side empowering her. She raised her dark blade for a strike. Luke stood still, then closed his eyes and raised his arm to call a lightsaber. It came to him, but instead of Anakin's blue blade, Kylo Ren's red blade came and ignited to block Rey's attack.

Rey continued the undisciplined and unrelenting attack on Luke. Luke blocked repeatedly and side-stepped, having yet to mount any offensive move.

"I will not fight you," he said, saying the same words he had said to Kylo Ren. He blocked more attacks handily.

"Why not!" she yelled in her rage as she then tried to Force-push him off balance.

Luke caught her push with the Force and threw her back a few feet.

"Never again will I take the life of one of my Padawans," he replied.

That enraged her all the more, "Like you did with my father! Was he one of your Padawans!"

She rushed at him again.

Kylo Ren had grabbed for Anakin's lightsaber weakly, and attempted to stand. He was unstable on his feet. He lit the blue lightsaber and attempted to walk toward the fight, uncertain of what side he would take.

Luke saw him.

"No, Ben!" he called out, blocking more of Rey's attacks. "You will die!"

Luke knew Rey was unpredictable while in the grip of the dark side, and he feared for Kylo Ren.

At that moment, Chewbacca and Finn were seen in the door opening.

Finn stood, mouth open not knowing what to think. Kylo Ren was stumbling with a blue lightsaber. Luke was fighting with Kylo Ren's lightsaber. Rey was in a furious rage trying to kill Luke. A mummified woman in a large, black canister glowed behind them. Four of Kylo Ren's knights lay dead on the ground, and above them all was a huge holograph of a hideous robed figure.

"What the . . ." Finn began.

Luke pushed Rey back again with the Force, but she was only pushed back a few meters as her feet slid on the floor. She settled her footing and then returned, this time jumping to land a blow from above.

Luke raised his hand and caught her in mid air. She froze, unable to move a muscle. She floated motionless and stiff in the air, her arms poised to drop her lightsaber blade in a violent attack.

"You want to have the power to control your future, the power to seek revenge," Luke said. He raised his other hand toward the wall. The room began to creak, and the metal moaned under the tension. A booming crack erupted from the room around them. The walls started to warp inward. Snoke's image fizzled out in an electric spark.

"It will destroy you," Luke said. The room thundered under the pressure. Everything in the room began to rise slowly off the floor: the dead knights, the black canister, and even Kylo Ren.

….

The Resistance cruisers were almost spent, and ninety percent of the the snub fighters were either destroyed or had fled.

Leia knew this was the end.

"General Organa," Grand Admiral Ackbar hailed her.

"Yes, Admiral Ackbar," she said.

"Our shields are at twenty percent. We are not going to make it," he said.

"We are not doing much better here," Leia returned.

"If we stay here, we all die," Ackbar said. "But maybe you could escape."

"What are you saying?" she asked.

"I can make a way for you to escape," he answered.

Leia knew what he was intending.

"I can't advise you to do that," her voice shook.

"General, the lives of your crew depend on this. It's the only chance they have," he said.

Leia wavered a moment, her cruiser quaking again and again under the onslaught.

Ackbar spoke up again, "If you don't order me to perform this action, General, then consider me defecting. Be ready to receive escape pods."

"Yes, Admiral." She could hardly speak the words. "Gial, may the Force be with you, my friend."

"It has been an honor to serve with you, Leia. Please speak of me to my people."

"I will." Leia held back her tears. Those would come at a later time.

Grand Admiral Ackbar ordered the HoloNet to be turned off.

"Give the order to abandon ship and flee to General Organa's cruiser," he commanded.

Then looking to his officers on the bridge he said, "We will be making a way for those who will continue this fight, but today I will make the ultimate sacrifice for the cause to go on. Whoever wishes to stay with me, may. Whoever would escape, may do so as well."

He waited a moment, but each officer stood steadfast at their post, loyal to the admiral and to the cause.

"I am proud to die among men and women such as you," he said. "Now head directly for a crash course with the Finalizer. Full speed."

….

General Hux was astounded by the actions of one of the Resistance cruisers as it lined up with the Finalizer and headed directly for it.

"What are they doing?" Hux asked himself, but shortly realized the answer to his own question. "All ion cannons and turbolasers on the approaching cruiser. Now!"

The bridge abruptly quaked with turbulent force and moaned under some unknown pressure.

Hux, who was standing lost his balance and stabilized himself by grabbing on to the communication console. Baffled, he looked around. "That was no laser blast," Hux said.

The command officer made the order to fire. However, the weapon's officer was unable to, the weapon system not responding.

"Sir," he said to General Hux. "It seems that we cannot fire our cannons."

"Which cannons," Hux barked.

"All of them sir."

Hux did not know what was happening, but he had no time to find out.

"Evasive action!" he called out.

The Finalizer did not move.

"What's the problem," Hux yelled. "Evasive action!"

"I'm sorry, General," the command officer replied. "But the ship is not responding."

General Hux bit his lip and clenched his fists as he watched the oncoming cruiser. He knew running diagnostics and fixing the problem was a luxury that time afforded. But he had no time.

….

Rey tried with impotent strength to fight Luke's Force-hold on her. Her anger was evident on her face. Luke kept his hands raised toward her and the ship. "Ultimate control," he said, "is not what you really want."

Rey wrenched her head as she tried to free herself. Luke sensed something and looked to the inside ship wall. He slowly crouched to his knees and lowered the hand he held the ship with. "Without letting go, Rey, this power will cause great suffering."

He pointed his index finger and gently touched it to the ground. The moment he did, a great tremor rippled through the whole room and outward into the corridors, then engine room, TIE storage, and beyond. "But by submitting to the Force, you may save many lives," he said.

Then the walls moaned. Luke closed his eyes. The ship quaked again and then jolted to port. Finn and the rest fell over at the shock. Kylo Ren, still floating inches above the ground, could not hide his surprise at what Luke was accomplishing.

….

The Finalizer veered awkwardly to port as Ackbar's cruiser ran toward it. No weapons were firing. Ackbar sighed at his good luck.

"Pass the Finalizer under its belly. Full speed," he commanded.

The cruiser barely missed contacting the Finalizer and sped past, followed by Leia's cruiser.

….

"Chewie," Luke called, "Get Ben!"

Chewbacca growled and shook his head.

"Chewie! This is what we talked about! Do it!"

Chewbacca wavered.

"For me and for Han!" Luke said.

Chewbacca reluctantly entered the room and went to Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren recognized that he could not stay, Snoke having betrayed him. Chewbacca placed Kylo Ren's arm over his shoulder, gently brought him to the ground and tried to quickly walk him out. Finn was still dumbfounded at what was occurring.

Luke then spoke to Rey. "The dark side has made you powerful. But there is also great strength in weakness."

He released his hold on her and the ship. She fell to the ground, along with everything else. Rey got up, still raging with the dark side and immediately started her attack again.

Luke allowed himself to be backed into the wall as furious sparks flew from Rey's hands again.

"The dark side will destroy you as it destroyed your father."

Finn watched as Chewbacca and Kylo Ren exited behind him.

"Someday, I hope you will understand what I must do now," Luke said.

Luke then cast Kylo Ren's lightsaber away. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and abdicated as he lowered his head.

Rey took one last swing with her blade. The black blade cut through the air with frenetic speed, but it met no figure or form. Luke's body had disappeared. His empty robes falling in a pile on the floor.

Finn could not believe what he saw; anything that he saw.

"Rey?" he called out.

Rey turned to look at him, the red fury in her eyes wavered a moment. Her brown eyes almost reemerged. Finn stumbled back from the door, fearful at what he had seen in Rey, and turned.

"Run," he said, "get back to the _Falcon_."


	20. Episdode VIII: 20 Not All Is Lost

Leia collapsed to the ground as she felt her twin brother's death through the Force. Tears began to flow. An officer ran to her side, not understanding what happened to her.

She did not care what anyone on the bridge thought now, the pain was unbearable. The tears that would come at a later time broke through at this moment, not willing to submit to Leia's will. The loss of her mother, the loss of her home planet, the loss of her son to the dark side, the loss of Han, and now her brother-the pain that had gripped her for years, finally mastered her as the last wall of her impregnable defenses crumbled. She had kept her composure for the Rebellion, then the Senate, and now the Resistance; but now it all came crashing down, just as the Resistance forces were also crashing.

The tears fell. She crouched on the floor alone and wept.

….

Finn, Poe, Chewbacca, and Kylo Ren struggled to get to the Millennium Falcon and hurried on board. The star destroyer shook with the repeated hits, which resulted in scattered personnel that took little notice of the fleeing Resistance soldiers. Many ran past, not recognizing Kylo Ren with his mask off. Poe quickly took the pilot's seat and started the engines. BB-8 closed the rear ramp, and the Falcon launched out of the loading bay.

Upon exiting it was evident that the Resistance was losing, TIE fighters having had filled the space battlefield with destroyed remnants of B-Wings and Naboo fighters.

"There must be hundreds of TIEs!" Poe said.

"Do you think you can get us out of here so we can jump to hyperspace?" Finn asked.

"Can a bantha shed fur?" Poe replied, and dove to avoid turbolaser fire. "Get on the guns, you two."

Chewbacca and Finn ran to the dorsal and ventral gun turrets. Kylo Ren sat in the passenger bay, strapped in, too weak to do anything else.

The Millennium Falcon dove, rose and veered to avoid fire, Finn and Chewbacca shooting down any TIE fighters that came into their crosshairs. The shields had taken some glancing hits, but nothing that posed any major threat. Poe was good at what he did, but still, he was finding it difficult to move away from the star destroyer.

Then the Falcon shook violently. Everyone on board gasped at the hit.

"What was that!" Finn shouted.

"Looks like we've got someone on our tail," Poe replied. "Not a TIE either."

Kiam, the last of the knights of Ren, had spotted the Falcon exiting the Finalizer and had made sure to chase it down. Kiam, an excellent pilot, sought his prey with the resoluteness of a katarn on the hunt.

Poe steered the Falcon up abruptly to evade the pursuit craft. Kiam matched the move effortlessly and fired. Another hit contacted the rear shields. Poe corkscrewed to evade further lasers, then barrel-rolled to turn the Falcon on its side, pulled up, and sped away at the pursuit craft's starboard. Kiam matched his moves again with almost instantaneous reaction-time.

"This guy's good," Poe said, a bead of sweat falling on his temple.

Finn and Chewbacca tried to hit him, but Kiam was apt at dodging every shot.

Poe looped around some TIEs, trying to put something in between. Kiam fired and blasted one of the TIEs away in an attempt to get a clear shot, then repeatedly fired on the Falcon. He hit the Falcon again, the concussion jolting it to port.

"We can't take much more of this," Finn called down.

"Hold on," Poe cried. "I've got an idea."

This whole dogfight was in the shadow of the Finalizer, and stray turbo blasts ricocheted off the Falcon. Poe continued erratically flying the Falcon, searching for an opportunity.

"There!" he said to BB-8.

They were flying under the belly of the Finalizer; and ahead of them were four TIE fighters flying in formation, not currently engaged in battle. He punched the engines to full speed, turned on his side in relation to the TIEs, and slipped between them. He then slowed to taxi in front of them. They began firing almost immediately.

"Are you crazy!" Finn called down, trying to shoot the TIEs.

"Don't shoot them!" Poe yelled, more serious than usual. He spun the Falcon to evade laser fire, but they still were hit a few times. The Falcon's shields went down. Kiam was behind the TIEs without a clean shot. They were approaching the edge of the star destroyer above them. Kiam fired and took out the two center TIEs, the explosion obstructing his view for a moment. Poe cut the Falcon upward around the edge of the star destroyer. Kiam streaking through the orange gas bursts followed, but when turning the corner he found that the Falcon was gone.

He slowed his ship a little, confused as to where they could have gone. He reasoned that it must have jumped to hyperspace when laser fired blasted out of the flight bay he was next to. Poe had flown the Falcon into one of the port side flight bays. Chewbacca and Finn fired relentlessly. Dozens of laser blasts hit Kiam's ship. He turned to evade, but it was too late. His pursuit craft ended in an explosion of metal debris.

The Falcon dashed out of the bay and tried to get clear of the star destroyer. The major space battle was in front of them, so he turned to head in the opposite direction.

Finn sighed in relief at finally seeing clear space in front of him, but it was too soon. Another hit from the star destroyer hit the rear engines, the deflector shields being depleted. The Falcon began to spin uncontrollably. Alarms activated, and a red light flashed throughout the ship. Poe tried to get it under control unsuccessfully. The Falcon was dead in space, reeling wildly.

Finn and Chewbacca returned to the cockpit.

"The engine is about to blow," Poe said, fear on his face. "It's going to be over real soon."

Finn thought quick then ran to the back a moment and returned with oxygen masks.

"Put these on," he said. "And turn off the engines. Then we will decompress the cabin. If any oxygen gets to the burning engine, we all go up in flames. Then set the distress beacon. Maybe we die here, but we'll at least get a little time in case anyone is looking."

They all put on their masks. The engine was turned off, and the cabin decompressed. The artificial gravity ceased, their bodies becoming weightless. The lights died out, and the Falcon spun silently in the vacuum of space. It was eerily silent in the darkness, awaiting their deaths. The battle waged on around them and eventually passed, leaving the Falcon alone, while the radio beacon continually thumped.

….

The officers on the deck of the _Endurance_ were concerned about their general. The commander had taken up charge of the bridge.

"Follow behind the _Courage_ ," Commander Kale ordered.

Leia was inconsolable and unable to command the fleet. Commander Kale gave her a moment out of respect, but he was going to have to remove her shortly.

Leia held her face in her hands and gave up hope.

"Leia," a familiar voice spoke. No one heard it but her.

Commander Kale motioned to another officer to help Leia up off the floor.

"Leia," the voice came again. Leia dropped her hands.

"Luke?" she said. Wet trails of tears went down her face.

The officers came to her and put their hands under her arms to help her away.

She resisted.

"Leia, not all is lost." Luke's voice said.

Her eyes widened.

Luke continued. "There is still-"

"Hope," Leia finished the sentence. She stood up, wiped her face and looked to Commander Kale.

"Is everything alright, General?" Kale asked.

"Yes, I'm alright." She replied. With new strength, she announced, "the First Order will not have the _Endurance_ as a prize today."

….

Leia's and Ackbar's cruisers rushed toward the asteroid field as the ring of star destroyers continued to follow firing into the Resistance ships. There was no escape except through the asteroids.

"Full speed ahead, all firepower on the asteroids in front of us. Let's punch a hole through for the general to escape," Ackbar ordered.

Most of the cruiser's turbolasers were not operational due to the escaping crew, but a few were still manned. What remained fired on the asteroids, destroying as many as possible.

"All energy to the forward deflector shields!" Ackbar called out.

Leia's cruiser had reinforced their rear deflector shields and was trying to shoot past Ackbar's cruiser in an attempt to clear even more asteroids. However, there was no hope of destroying them all.

Not far into the asteroid belt, large asteroids began pelting Ackbar's shields, quickly depleting the remaining reserves. The cruiser continued forward, creating an empty wake behind it. Asteroids crashed into the forward hull, causing explosions and gaping holes. The cruiser jolted with each impact. Baleful and impending in the viewscreen, one large asteroid, almost the size of a small moon approached.

Ackbar looked with dismay at the mammoth.

"Full speed!" he called out again.

The _Courage_ , on its inescapable course, drew nearer to the grim planetoid and crashed into the asteroid, crushing the hull completely, debris flinging toward the command deck.

Ackbar reticently witnessed the asteroid debris rolling down the dorsal spine of the ship toward him. It crashed through the command deck viewscreen, destroying it, the crew giving their lives for a greater purpose.

The remains of the ship swung to the side and pushed the large asteroid with it, its engines still firing non-directionally.

They had made it halfway through the Vergesso asteroids. The ring of star destroyers was left behind, but one of them was chasing them through the wake.

Leia's cruiser had twenty-five percent shields remaining. She, having mastered her feelings did not have time to grieve the loss of Gial Ackbar, but continued with the escape.

"All fire ahead on any asteroids," she commanded. "We are not out of this yet."

They blasted away hundreds of asteroids, but still, some were getting through to damage the shields. The pursuing star destroyer also firing from behind.

"Keep both aft and forward shields up, but redirect power to the front as they weaken," she said to her command deck.

"Ten percent shields," an officer announced.

"Almost there," Leia whispered under her breath. Asteroids continued to explode in front of them.

"Five percent shields."

She could see the open space ahead, only a kilometer at most away.

"We've lost shields," the officer said.

The cruiser jolted forward with a hit from behind.

Only a few asteroids left.

"Jump to hyperspace!" She ordered as the last few of the asteroids vaporized with the cruiser fire and her ship disappeared into the blue-white of hyperspace.

….

The Millennium Falcon spun silently in space, the battle having moved on toward the asteroids. It was left alone except for the companionship of other dead snub fighters. The masks the occupants had on were for emergencies and only meant to be used for up to thirty minutes. Twenty minutes had elapsed already. Finn desired to say something to Poe and Chewbacca but could not, the vacuum in the cockpit preventing any dialogue.

Finn hoped against all reason that someone might pick up on his distress beacon before they suffocated. If they had more time, they might freeze to death, he concluded to himself. He stared out the cockpit window, waiting for anything and hoping. With the spinning it was hard to see anything moving unless it was near, although he thought there might have been something getting closer. Every time the view of the asteroid belt filled the cockpit window, there seemed to be an object getting bigger. An asteroid, he thought. It moved on its own. A ship, he inferred.

A Corellian freighter with its auxiliary starfighter attached, the Ghost, came into view the next time the Falcon spun around. Finn had not seen this ship before, but he hoped it was with the Resistance. He waved to Poe and Chewbacca to look.

The Ghost matched the rotation of the Falcon and made an air-lock seal with the top hatch. In a few moments, the top hatch opened; and Sabine moved through the passenger bay. She motioned everyone to get out. Chewbacca helped Kylo Ren. The rest, including BB-8, evacuated into the Ghost. Once inside, the doors closed; and the cabin pressurized.

Sabine took off her helmet. "Good thing you had that distress beacon on. We were about to get out of here when we picked it up."

"Thank you," Finn said.

"Don't thank me," she said, "Boba wanted to check it out."

"That's just how I find my business," Boba walked in.

He noticed Kylo Ren. "And it looks like a good catch too."

Sabine eyed him with disdain, hoping he was not thinking about making a profit on this.

"Whose idea was it to empty the cabin air pressure on that ship?" Boba asked.

"Mine," Finn said.

"Come here and look," Boba said. He brought him to the cockpit.

Finn looked out. The damage to the Falcon was much worse than he had thought. The rear engine had a huge gaping hole, and sparks could be seen flickering throughout.

"That was a good move," Boba said. "You would have blown up for sure."

Finn was astonished.

"Now what?" Finn asked.

"Time to get you back to the general," he said. "Everybody strap in!"

He sat down and hit the hyperdrive.


	21. Episode VIII: 21 Rise of the Dark Jedi

Leia's Mon Calamari star cruiser was docked in the Alderaanian space station. It was heavily damaged with carbon scarring and multifocal to coalescing pockmarks over the forward hull. Assessments were that it may never see battle again but would become a permanent part of the space station. Leia mourned silently in her quarters for the failed mission and the lost lives, her forehead resting on her folded hands. She thought of Luke.

Her somber meditation was broken by a knock at the door. She readied herself, wiped her face and got up to open the door. It was Boba Fett, standing proud and impervious as if the last twenty-four hours had never happened.

"You called for me, General," he said.

"Yes, come in," she suggested. "I wanted to thank you for what you did today."

Boba did not say a word in response but smiled.

Leia studied his face closely.

"Did you know it was a trap the whole time?" she asked and furrowed her brow.

"General, I assume everything is a trap," he said. "How do you think I survived this long?"

Leia thought of the Sarlacc pit on Tatooine.

"I suppose so," she said. "I'm sure you will want some reward for saving the crew of the Millennium Falcon."

Boba laughed.

Leia was unsure how to interpret that.

"Haven't you heard, General?" Boba smiled. "I'm retired."

Leia still thought this was unusual for him.

"You mean to tell me that you saved those men, and you don't want any payment?"

Boba laughed again. "Who said I wasn't getting paid?"

With that, he turned to walk out of the room.

Leia smiled and began to say something else, but Boba was already gone.

….

Finn stood in the medical bay. He was at a distance from Kylo Ren, who was lying down and being attended by medical droids. Electrical scars and burns could be seen on his arms and chest. Finn watched the progress.

Poe came up beside him reticently as he watched.

Finn and Poe were quiet for a moment, watching the medical droid bandage Kylo Ren.

"I don't know what happened," Finn said.

Poe put his head down and placed an arm on Finn's shoulder.

"She was so different. She looked so evil and dark," Finn said.

"Do you think she can come back?" Poe asked.

Finn looked like he was carrying the whole Resistance on himself. He looked tired and drained.

"I don't know," Finn could barely speak. "But, I shouldn't have left her."

Just then, they saw Leia enter cautiously into the medical bay. She approached Kylo Ren, her son, Ben Solo, and stood at his bedside. It was obvious to Finn and Poe that she did not know if she should touch her son's hand, but she wanted to. She stood there hesitantly, watching her son, whose eyes were closed. Pain was in her own eyes.

"The mission was a terrible failure," Poe said expressing his own grief.

Ben then looked up as if he knew his mother had been watching him. He raised his head a little and reached for his mother's hand to hold it.

"Not a complete failure," Finn said. "And there still is hope."

Finn patted Poe on the back and motioned for them to leave.

….

Rey stood in a stygian subterranean cavern, with dark pillars scattered throughout the room. In front of her stood Snoke, robed in ashen grey, an evil grimace on his face.

"Come closer," he said to Rey.

She approached and stared him down. Her eyes were not filled with the red rage of the dark-side presently.

"You have done well and become very powerful," Snoke began. "But there is much for you to learn. And much that I can teach you."

Her black-bladed lightsaber staff was in her hand but lowered.

"With my help, you will become more powerful than anyone in the galaxy . . . You will then be in charge of your own destiny."

The corner of Rey's mouth turned up in an almost hidden smile.

* * *

 **This is the end of Episode VIII.**

 **If this ending depresses you, just be patient. Empire Strikes Back was a bummer, too. If you have questions or critiques about the story, PM me; or visit the google doc. I address the most commonly asked questions about Dark Jedi at the end of the google doc. You can find the link by going to Facebook riseofthedarkjedi. And although Boba Fett falls off in Episode IX, you can pick up his story where it has left off in my other fan fiction, Dark Bounty. As always your reviews are appreciated. And if you think I would like your writings, PM me, too!**


	22. Episode IX: 1 Opening Crawl

**There was a rumor in Jan. 2016 that Maz Kanata was going to be a Force user. As of the finishing of this novella, that secret scene had still not surfaced. So for the purposes of this story, Maz Kanata is not a Force user.**

* * *

STAR WARS

EPISODE IX

THE LEGACY OF THE SITH

Written May 2016. Every attempt was made to be true to Star Wars canon up to this date.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . .

Star

Wars

Episode ix

The Legacy of the Sith

Snoke, the dark Sith Lord, has a new apprentice, the ruthless DARTH IRATA. Together they have eliminated many that would resist the FIRST ORDER. Due to a series of devastating losses, time and resources are running out for the RESISTANCE.

Snoke has sent his apprentice to destroy the last known garrison of the RESISTANCE, the Alderaanian asteroid base. Snoke hopes that this will be a crushing blow to the opposition, but General Organa has anticipated the attack and has plans of her own . . .


	23. Episode IX:2 The Last Battle of Alderaan

Ten star destroyers, ominous and deadly, like spearheads ready to strike, were positioned in linear formation in the same plane as the Alderaanian asteroids. The lead star destroyer, the _Finalizer_ , was a veteran ship to the First Order and had claimed numerous victories over the Resistance, most notably a piercing defeat against Leia Organa in the Lybeya system. Its dark silhouette partially obscured two other star destroyers behind it. Yet behind them all loomed a large command super star destroyer, dwarfing the _Finalizer,_ boasting a girth three times its size.

A star battle was raging as hundreds of TIEs and resistance ships darted about the star destroyers in the space between them and the Resistance station. However, the station was still well protected in the cover of the asteroids. The base was a combination of interlocking smaller stations, corridors, and decommissioned ships semi-permanently attached to each other. Blasts from the station's turbolasers pierced the asteroid field like a needle, most of the firepower directed at the _Finalizer_.

The First Order ships returned fire through the mist of swarming single-man snub fighters. Sometimes the star destroyer attacks fizzled out as they destroyed unlucky Resistance fighters and TIEs. Other cannon blasts destroyed masses of asteroids, burning them out in pops of green and red bursts; but a few bright green laser blasts made it through the human and natural barriers to strike the station shields.

….

General Hux stood erect, his hands clasped behind his back as he watched emotionlessly out the command bridge view port of the _Finalizer_. The _Finalizer_ shields were sustaining blows, but there was no appreciable danger.

He hailed Admiral Dentin. "Admiral."

"Yes sir," came the confident female voice over the Holovid as her image appeared.

"Direct all firepower at the turbolasers and continue to fire until you have cleared away all the asteroids in the way. We must cripple that station."

"Yes, sir. Should I then disregard any escape vessels, General?" Admiral Dentin was covering her liabilities, and General Hux knew it. He would not tell her to ignore them at the risk of incurring blame as well, but Hux would be sure to punish her for posturing at a later time. General Hux also understood the Resistance had closed themselves in with asteroids, so they would not be able to escape with large cruisers.

"Direct the TIE squadrons to deal with them." His teeth glistened with saliva as he barked the order.

"Yes, sir," Admiral Dentin replied.

A few moments later a third of the TIE fighters maneuvered into the asteroid field and attempted to surround the station. Another third tightened up their defense of the star destroyers by patrolling closer to each destroyer. The last third was left to pursue Resistance fighters. They had been given new orders to choose one fighter and pursue it until it was destroyed before finding a new target.

General Hux did not miss the ingenuity of the admiral's plan as he observed it unfold. His smile betrayed that he would receive credit for the success of Dentin's plan. He ordered the commander of his ship to continue firing on the turbolasers. "I want troopers on that station in twenty minutes!"

….

Outside, hundreds of snub Resistance fighters darted about in an attempt to weaken the First Order's attack. Although it looked like random dog fights, in actuality each squadron of fighters was executing a specific order.

Poe Dameron, one of the best pilots in the Resistance headed one such squadron. He was no stranger to chaotic missions. His orders were to weaken or destroy a star destroyer. A number of squadrons were commissioned with this purpose, three for each star destroyer.

His squadron consisted of three X-Wings and two Y-Wing bombers, and he was piloting the lead X-Wing. They had been assigned to Star Destroyer _Beta_ , the second star destroyer from the left of the enemy line. Two sister squadrons with the same instructions were assigned to _Beta_ as well.

They approached _Beta_ head-on, having fallen out of formation. The X-Wings had to dispatch TIE fighters and protect the bombers on the way to their target. The TIEs were unexpectedly vigilant in their pursuit, not changing to new targets as normally was the case. Poe's squadron had to constantly rescue each other from pursuit. They evaded the last of the TIEs that were chasing them. However, now they were close to the selected star destroyer; and a new group of defending TIEs approached, obviously fighting with a different tactic as they patrolled.

"Resume formation, Rapier Squadron," Poe said. "We need to make one circuit to analyze their defense pattern. Follow me."

"Yes, Rapier Leader," came the response from the four other pilots.

They circled the star destroyer, dodging turbo-laser fire as they went. A group of four TIE fighters broke from the destroyer to engage them. As Poe's squadron then passed from their zone to another, a new group of TIEs approached and the previous group returned to its patrol.

"It looks like zone patrolling, Rapier Leader." A voice over the HoloNet came to Poe from one of the X-Wings. Poe fired on one of the TIEs. It exploded in green electric vapors.

"I see it, Rapier Three," Poe returned. "We need to hop and pop 'em. On the next change-up."

"Yes, Rapier Leader," the squadron returned. Each fighter had to avoid fire from TIEs and the star destroyer but reset to formation after each maneuver. The three remaining TIE fighters from the previous zone fell back, as four new TIEs approached.

"Now," Poe ordered.

Rapier Two and Rapier Three, the other X-Wings darted to port and starboard, but first crossing in front of Poe's X-Wing. As they passed across his view, he fired on the incoming TIEs, shooting a solar panel off of one, then diving sharply toward the star destroyer, the bombers following.

Two of the remaining TIEs veered off to pursue Rapier Two and Three, and the last dove down after Poe and the bombers, spinning to right itself with them.

Poe fired laser blasts into the star destroyer's shields with little effect as small blue ripplets radiated out from the impact. Poe then pulled up to loop behind the pursuing TIE fighter. The bombers released multiple proton torpedoes. One of the bombers suffered a glancing hit from the destroyer's turbo lasers and pulled up. The pilot rattled in the cockpit with the blast.

"You all right, Rapier Four?" Poe asked.

"Yes, Rapier Leader. Nothing you need to write home about," Rapier Four returned.

The remaining TIE fighter fired on Rapier Four, another hit glancing off his shield. Poe held his breath and plunged himself behind the TIE, settled and lined up the target lock as he had done millions of times before, sweat dripping from his brow; not in fear, but excitement. The target lock alarmed for a split second before Poe pulled the trigger. The TIE evaporated into nothingness. Poe breathed out, remembering those whose lives he had not been able to save.

"Don't joke about writing home, Rapier Four," rebuked Poe sternly. "Now let's get some distance and hit the next zone before they fill in this gap with more TIEs."

Poe had seen enough death in battle; but Roman, the Rapier Four pilot, was still young and fresh enough in battle to be ignorant of the true threat.

Rapier Two and Three returned to formation having eliminated their own TIEs and dropped a proton torpedo each into the shield. They moved away from the destroyer's turbo-lasers and prepared themselves for the next group of TIEs then repeated the maneuver.

Poe radioed Admiral Statura the success with his attack pattern, and soon all bombing squadrons were mimicking it. "It won't be long before they figure this out. Keep your eyes open," Poe advised his squadron.


	24. Episode IX: 3 Darth Irata

A dark-haired woman, panting with exertion and holding the hand of a small child trudged through the thick and threatening forest of Kaller, its trees reaching down with arched fingers as if to clutch the mother and her helpless child. The mother was trying to walk as quietly as she could, but there was urgency in her steps. She looked far behind her often and tried to rush the child, who was no older than four standard years.

"Mama, my feet hurt," the child whined. The mother's did, too.

The mother dropped the bunched edge of her buff-colored dress and leaned over to pick the little girl up. Weak with the journey, she could not hold her daughter for long; but she tried anyway. Her feet dragged with the extra weight of the child, and the tattered edges of her gown caught on the underbrush.

She hugged her daughter close for a moment and whispered, "Hush, Rey, we must be quiet. Can you be quiet?"

Rey nodded, then nestled her head into her mother's shoulder; the only safety the child had ever known.

She walked on as fast as she could, which was anything but fast. She stumbled frequently, but was sure not to lose her hold on Rey.

"Where did he go?" she muttered to herself. After a few more minutes of walking, she stopped and put down her daughter to rest on the dead leaves and vines of the forest floor.

"It's no use," she said and fell to her knees. They sat together on the forest floor. The mother hid her tears from her daughter by putting her face in her rough and weathered hands.

"Mama," Rey said. "Who's that man?"

Rey was looking into the thick woods. No one was there.

Her mother looked up in that direction, then to her daughter. Her eyes opened wide in hope. She got up quickly and picked up the little girl, her muscles aching at the effort.

"Point to where he is, Rey. He's a man that can help us."

Rey's little hand pointed, and her mother started walking in that direction. After a short time, Rey stopped pointing. Her mother halted. The light of day was fading, and the forest was becoming darker. The cold chirps of insects began to usher in the night.

"Where is he, honey?" asked her mother, trying to remain calm.

Rey did not say anything, but instead she looked past her mother.

"Why are you following me?" A voice came from behind the mother, causing her to jump.

Rey's mother turned to see a man with a light brown beard and a long cloak standing before them. This was the man that she had been pursuing. She stood up quickly.

"You-the Jedi Master," the woman said.

"Master? In the eyes of some," the man responded.

"But you are Luke Skywalker. Are you not?"

"I am," Luke said, cautious restraint in his voice as he stood tall with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Oh, thank the stars!" she exclaimed. She ran to him and fell before him.

Luke took a step back, breaking a stray branch with his step.

"You are in terrible danger!" she cried out.

Luke looked surprised. "What danger do you mean?"

"I will tell you, but first you must promise to help me." The woman had desperation in her voice.

Luke did not respond immediately but considered the woman and child. The silence from him was uncomfortable. The insects still sang their song. Rey walked up and grabbed her mother's arm.

"Who are you?" He asked the mother.

"My name is Deborah, and I am Ren's wife."

Luke's eyebrows raised. "My Jedi Apprentice? I didn't know he was married."

Deborah looked away and then toward Rey. She took a deep breath and held her daughter's hand a little tighter.

"There is much you don't know about him. Ren is not who you think he is. He entered under your training two years ago with intentions that you know nothing about."

Luke searched her feelings with the Force. He sensed her earnestness and fear. She believed what she was saying. He allowed her to continue.

"You and all of your students-eh, Padawans-are in great danger."

"What do you mean? Ren has been my friend and aid in training Jedi. How could he be such a danger?" Luke could foresee many possibilities, but he wanted to draw Deborah out. After the fall of the Empire, no one was threatening those that sought the Force, so Luke was free to train a new generation. Ren, being only about fifteen years younger than Luke had learned quickly, and soon became a close friend in the training of Padawans. He had been knowledgeable in the Force and easy to instruct. He excelled to such a degree that he had been elevated to train the youngest Jedi prospects. The news that he could be a danger was potentially devastating if true.

"Ren is a Jedi hunter," Deborah said flattly,

Luke looked shocked. "I would have known. I should have been able to sense something like that."

"He was trained as an inquisitor from a very young age during the Empire and is familiar with the Dark Side. He knows how to hide that from you. He joined with you, feigning ignorance of the Force and pretended to learn. You know how deceitful the Dark Side can be."

"But a Jedi Hunter? He would have to have been hired by someone." Luke responded.

"Yes, someone named Snoke."

Luke had not heard of him before. It was obvious from his face that he was confused as to who he might be.

"If you know all of this, you must have condoned it yourself. Why are you telling me this now?"

She moved her daughter in front of her and held her forward toward him. She could not hold her composure any longer and began to cry.

"You must help me. He'll kill her." She broke down in sobs, and could hardly speak.

Luke did not know how to respond. He stumbled over his words, there being so many questions, so many of which would be out of place.

"Why would he do that?" It may not have been the best question, but he needed to know. His own Padawans were in danger, and he needed to know more about Ren quickly.

"She is strong in the Force." Deborah tried to detach herself emotionally as she answered, wiping her face and choking down her crying. "I have tried to hide her ability, but I can't do it anymore. You must help her." Her voice cracked.

"Why me?" Luke asked.

"You are a Jedi. Ren will know how to find her if I hide her. He will get it out of me. That's what he does. I cannot know where she is going, and you will know a place where she can be safe. You are a Jedi and can protect her . . . and teach her how to protect herself, when she is able."

"I can't," Luke replied. "If what you say is true, I need to return to my Padawans and protect _them_. They trust your husband."

"No!" Deborah was desperate. "You promised."

He had not but that did not matter to her.

"Please," she implored. "He may know I am here already. We are not safe. I thought if I helped you, you would save my daughter. You are my daughter's only hope."

Luke looked at the child, running his fingers through his hair. Then weakly nodded in assent.

Deborah let out a gasp of relief, but it only lasted an instant. The forest seems a little less perilous to her now. "You must go now," she said. "There is no time."

She bent down to her daughter, and pushed her daughter's fine brown hair back, tears falling from her face. Rey was confused, but sad so she mirrored her mother and began to cry. "It's ok, Rey. Everything is going to be ok." She drew her in for an embrace. "This is a good man. He is going to take you to a good place for a while." Rey held onto her mother tight. "I love you, Rey. You remember that." Deborah closed her eyes tight and held her daughter, gripping her, not wanting to let go. "You hear me-always remember that I love you. Never forget that."

Luke looked on silently, reflecting on his own youth, ripped away from his mother.

Deborah loosened her embrace and cupped Rey's face in her hands, looking directly into her eyes as if to burn them in her memory. "You never forget. I love you." Tears ran down Rey's face as she looked to her mother. She did not understand. She did not know what was happening.

….

Rey bowed before the giant image of Snoke, his hologram looming twenty feet tall in an immense, dark communication room of the super star destroyer, a communication room meant to be an exact copy of the one on the _Finalizer_. His gaunt face and piercing eyes focused on his apprentice.

She was dressed in a black, tight, synthetic outfit with multiple buckles on her arms and legs to adjust the fit. A long, hooded, black cape draped over her back. Her black lightsaber staff was strapped diagonally behind her over her shoulder on top of her cape. Her brown hair was bound up tightly as to be in complete order.

"The Resistance base will be taken shortly. Their defenses are weak, Master," Rey stated.

"Does that seem typical of them?" Snoke was testing her, as he always did.

"No, Master. Their forces are smaller than normal. They will have moved much of their force to another location."

"Yes, Darth Irata. You have made a wise observation. But that is not all." Snoke smiled with his thin grin.

"They knew we were coming, certainly because I am with you. It is likely to be a fruitless outcome."

"You are quick to judge it as fruitless," Snoke said. "Perhaps _you_ must make it fruitful."

Rey thought for a moment. Snoke watched, his dead pitch black eyes studying her. He said nothing.

"I must board the station and obtain information of the new Resistance base, Master."

"Yes, very good." Snoke stated with a sharp smile. His encouragement was always to promote his own ends. "Yet I wonder if you are ready to face Rey's old allies." His comment ended in a hiss.

"I have no feeling for them. They are puppet masters. Rey was the puppet."

"Excellent, My Apprentice. You have learned well. Now go and take control of your destiny."

"It will be done, Master." Rey lowered her head again.

Not long after, a First Order shuttle accompanied by eight TIE superior fighters exited the super star destroyer and made their approach on the asteroid belt. Passing through the star destroyers was easy enough; all the Resistance fighters were focusing on the destroyers. However, the expanse between them and the asteroids was swarming with fighters from both sides, and a contingent of nine ships attracted the attention of a squadron of X-Wings.

….

"That looks like an important contingent," Temmin Wexley radioed the rest of Blue squadron. Temmin Wexley, also known as "Snap," was an experienced pilot for the Resistance and had fought against the remnants of the Empire on his home planet, Akiva, when he was a young man. Now he headed his own squadron of fighters.

"Looks like they intend to board the station, Blue Leader," Blue Two replied.

"Let's see that they don't. Attack pattern Gamma," Snap replied.

The five X-Wings approached the First Order contingent from below. Blaster fire erupted from the fighters. Two TIEs were destroyed at the first assault. The rest broke formation to engage the X-Wings, one for each X-Wing; and one remained with the shuttle.

A TIE came directly as Snap. He corkscrewed the X-Wing to avoid damage, laser fire deflecting off his shields. His targeting computer hadn't found its mark but Snap fired. The laser blasts shot into the infinity of space, disappearing in oblivion. He then pulled up hard and looped to come down on top of the TIE as it passed underneath him. He fired again, with more success; and the TIE exploded, one dismembered TIE solar panel spinning silently in space. He then redirected to engage the shuttle.

"I've got one on my tail," Blue Three radioed. The pursued X-Wing passed slightly below Snap's view, a TIE close on its tail.

"I'll get it, Blue Three." He replied and veered to port slightly and downward to intercept, but it was too late. He watched as the X-Wing was erupted in pieces of metal and flames. Snap, undeterred and fixated on his target, lined up with TIE from behind as the TIE's gunner was still watching the X-Wing hit. Snap then pulled the trigger forcefully, venting his anger and easily dispatched the TIE in retribution.

The shuttle was not far away. He increased his thrust to catch it. The three other X-Wings fell back into formation having destroyed their TIEs.

"One shuttle and one TIE," Blue Two commented, "We got this one in the bag."

Snap did not smile but warned, "Don't celebrate 'til it's over, Blue Two. Let's keep the chatter to a minimum."

"Yes, Blue Leader." Blue Two replied.

The last TIE fighter's rear gunner began firing on the X-Wings, but it was futile. They effortlessly evaded any damage, and the four X-Wings vastly out-gunned the TIE. Its fight had ended before it began.

"Fire on that shuttle," Snap ordered.

The X-Wings drew near, letting out everything they had on the shuttle. Surprisingly, the shuttle was more agile than expected and made a sharp turn to starboard and around to head directly at the X-wings.

"That shuttle pilot is crazy," Blue Two commented. "We'll cook that ship, easy."

"Blue Two, less talk and fly," Snap ordered.

The squadron fired on the shuttle. As if the shuttle pilot knew where the shots would hit, the shuttle pulled up sharply, turned to port, then dove, successfully dodging the attack.

Blue Two had not responded to Poe as was protocol. Soon there was a choking sound on the other side of the radio from Blue Two.

"Blue Two . . . Locke?" Snap said. The shuttle was getting nearer, but not firing. Locke's X-Wing veered out of formation then drifted away aimlessly. The choking sound abruptly stopped.

"Locke!" Snap shouted. There was no answer.

He tried to fire on the shuttle, but his controls were not working.

"Blue Leader, I can't control my X-Wing!" Blue Four called out.

"Neither can I," Blue Five added.

Snap watched as Blue Four and Five seemed to move laterally in front of him as if picked up and moved like a child handling toys.

"What's going on!" Blue Four called out.

Snap did not know. He watched as the two X-Wings crossed over in front of him and were smashed into each other. He heard their screams over the radio before being snuffed out. Then he felt the tightening of his own throat. He tried to breath, but could not. Panic arose as he clawed at his neck trying to release the invisible force strangling him, but there was no use. He writhed and gasped without effect. Finally his clenching fists and tense arms relaxed, his vision fading into bright white unconsciousness.

….

Rey, seated in the pilot seat, had her hand outstretched with clenched fingers. The X-Wing that floated in front of her drifted downward, obviously no longer piloted. She lowered her hand, then rose from the controls. The pilot that had been removed from his seat at the beginning of the attack, rushed back into position.

"Get me onto that station," she ordered the pilot.

"Yes, Lady Irata," he returned.


	25. Episode IX: 4 The Endurance

Poe's squadron had done pretty well with their bombing mission on the _Beta_ star destroyer. The First Order had caught on to their technique after about four runs and had changed their orders toward a pursuing tactic. Poe had managed to catch the change quickly enough, his nimble sense able to see the pattern, and to change his own strategy. He had all the fighters circle around the destroyer in the same circuit. The TIEs then pursued the Resistance fighters in one direction, while proton torpedoes constantly were dropped into the shields.

The First Order then changed their maneuverings again into alternating pursuit runs in opposite directions. Poe then switched his attack to circle the destroyer at a perpendicular angle, causing only brief engagements with the TIEs. As a result, the shields were constantly being weakened, but at a slow rate.

Poe became impatient. This bombing mission was never intended to destroy the ship, rather to weaken its defenses; but to Poe, taking a destroyer out was preferable.

"Yellow Leader, Red Leader," Poe contacted the other squadrons assigned to _Beta_. "What is your squadron status?"

"Two X-Wings down, Three fighters left, Rapier Leader." Yellow Leader responded.

"One Y-Wing down, Rapier Leader." Red Leader radioed.

Poe quickly analyzed the situation. The longer it took to break the shields, the weaker their own squadrons would become, even if they were flying well.

A TIE streaked in front of him. He fired casually and blew off one of its solar panels without effort, causing the TIE to spiral out of control away from the destroyer. Then Poe got an idea.

"Rapier Squadron, stop bombing the shields." He ordered.

The squadron fighters responded with compliance.

"What should we do then, Rapier Leader?" Rapier Two inquired.

"Follow me, Rapier Squadron," Poe said.

He flew toward a group of TIEs nearby that were pursuing the Yellow Squadron. Turbo laser's continued to dart past his fighter, close enough to sliver off stabilizers if Poe had flinched. He obtained a target lock on one TIE but did not fire immediately, fatal laser blasts getting dangerously close and lighting up his face with an eerie glow as they flashed. The TIE pilot, detecting the target lock, began to fly erratically, trying to break the target; and the rear gunner began firing unevenly on Poe. Poe's shields took a hit, but he did not fire. The TIE cornered away from the destroyer and then back toward it. Poe fired his laser cannons. He clipped the top starboard solar panel, causing it to tailspin and crash into the destroyer's shields, a blue ripple emanating outward and flickering as the powered shield wavered at the hit.

"Rapier Squadron, did you see that?" Poe radioed.

They did.

"Let's throw their own ships at them," Poe ordered.

….

Leia Organa, the general of the Resistance, stood in the command center of the Alderaanian asteroid station, monitoring the Holovid. Admiral Statura, an experienced official that was implemental in the destruction of the Starkiller base, stood to her right. Finn, a captain of the Resistance and former stormtrooper of the First Order, stood at her left. Two commanders and C-3PO were near the Holovid as well; and R2-D2 was positioned behind them along the wall, with Chewbacca, the faithful and loyal friend of Leia, who had not left her side after Lybeya.

They watched the Holovid display in front of them as it showed the current battle unfolding. The First Order destroyers were getting closer and their laser blasts were beginning to cause significant damage to the station shields. Many of the snub fighters were destroyed, as about one hundred of the three hundred fighters had fallen. The amount of First Order casualties were three times as high, but there were still at least five hundred more TIEs filling the battlefield. With them, there were the ten star destroyers and the super star destroyer also. The numbers were not in the Resistance's favor and Leia knew it.

"It is almost time," Leia said. "In a moment I want you to ready the retreat of our ships, Admiral Statura."

"Yes, General," Statura replied.

"But we haven't damaged any of their fleet, and the asteroids are swarming with TIEs ready to fire on any escaping vessels," one of the commanders commented.

"That will be taken care of shortly, Commander Kale," Leia answered.

She turned to Finn. "After I contact General Hux, you must coordinate the evacuation of the station and set the charges."

"Yes, General," Finn said. "As long as I can get out of these asteroids. Promise me, no more asteroids after this."

Leia smiled and then returned her attention to the Holovid display and hailed the _Finalizer_. She waited only a moment before General Hux's blue gray holographic form appeared, standing on the Holovid table.

"It is not like you, General Organa, to seek terms for surrender," Hux taunted.

"For your surrender, General Hux," Leia smiled.

Hux laughed, "It seems after the Lybeya battle, you have succumbed to delusions of grandeur. You stood a better chance then. What makes you think you will fare better now?"

"I've come to understand you better. I hope you have come to know me better as well and heed my warning." She said cryptically.

General Hux smiled. "You are delaying. You are preparing your evacuation and using your fighters to keep our destroyers at bay. Soon your men will be fleeing the station. Your position is precarious among those asteroids. Only small escape vessels can leave, and we will easily prevent that. You see, I know your plans, General."

"No, you have miscalculated. I'm not trying to delay you. I am giving you a chance to save the lives of your Fleet. This is your last chance, Hux. Surrender now, or die."

"What!" Hux ejaculated. "I think you overestimate your chances! If you will not surrender to me, then we have nothing left to discuss. It will be fitting for you to die here in the graveyard of your destroyed planet; the princess must join her people."

His hologram disappeared.

Leia turned to Admiral Statura and Captain Finn. "Let's go. Ready the _Endurance_."

"The cruiser?" C-3PO questioned. "Weren't the engines badly damaged in the Lybeya system?"

"We are not leaving on it, 3PO. That is a parting gift from the late Admiral Ackbar. Come on. Get everyone out of here." Leia ordered as she quickly walked out. Admiral Statura informed his fleet of the orders.

Chewbacca, knowing that in battle no life is guaranteed, ran to Finn and hugged him.

"Thanks, fella," Finn said as he returned the hug. "I'll see you soon, don't worry."

Chewbacca then turned to follow Leia.

Finn left with R2-D2 to facilitate the evacuation and final steps of Leia's plan.

C-3PO still standing there trying to process what Leia had meant, uttered to himself, "a parting gift?"

He then realized that he was alone, jolted and turned to follow Leia.

"Oh, my," he said as he rushed down the hallway.

….

The Mon Calamari star cruiser detached from the Resistance station. It was a heavily damaged and battle-worn cruiser that had seen its last glory in the escape from Hux six months prior. That battle had cost the Resistance many lives. Yet this cruiser had survived, barely, its scars and open wounds were evidence of that.

The cruiser slowly moved away from the station. Asteroids, fitted with thrusters shifted outward, creating a cylinder of asteroids for the cruiser to exit. The cruiser passed through the asteroids. The thruster-equipped asteroids then closed behind it.

The cruiser exited the asteroid field and soon after began receiving hits from TIEs in the area. A few Resistance squadron's flew in to protect it. It began its trajectory directly for General Hux's ship, the _Finalizer_.

….

The First Order fleet was drawing nearer to the asteroid belt, and the battle was getting more crowded with bolting dogfighters and deceased ship skeletons. General Hux saw the Mon Calamari ship and recognized it at once.

"So you are going to try to ram me again." He said under his breath, referring to their last battle in the Lybeya system. "It won't work this time."

He ordered his command bridge to direct all fire at the star cruiser. The cruiser did not return fire, but its shields held. It drew nearer. The shields weakened.

An intelligence officer approached General Hux. "Permission to speak, General," the man stated, his hands behind his back but fidgeting.

"Granted. What is it, Colonel Winn?" Hux did not look at Winn but continued to watch the laser and ion blast hitting the cruiser.

"Sir, I am concerned about the behavior of that ship. I would suggest we evade."

"How are the cruiser's shields?" Hux called to the captain, half ignoring Winn's comment.

"They are almost down, General," the captain responded.

"Sir," Winn started again. "That ship is not firing, not changing direction. There is no change in its thrust and no alteration in its shield focus."

"Captain, tell me our shield status," Hux again half ignored Winn.

"Eighty percent, General."

Hux turned to look at Winn. "What are you trying to say, Colonel? That you have a bad feeling about this?"

"Well, yes, General," he answered. "I don't think that ship has anyone on it."

"General," another command officer yelled out. "One of our star destroyers on the starboard just went down. They destroyed the command bridge, sir." Poe's strategy had worked.

"No matter," he said to the command officer. Then he directed his comment to Winn. "Our shields are almost at full capacity. The cruiser's shields are almost down. In a few blasts, your _feelings_ won't matter. Return to your station."

After a few more direct hits from the _Finalizer_ , the cruiser's shields did fail. It was still about a kilometer away, the damage to the hull was seen as laser fire tore pieces off, the already pockmarked frame. Suddenly the cruiser exploded, but it was not the typical flash of vaporized gases. The ship simply erupted into debris and shrapnel.

"There," Hux stated. "Now resume the attack on the station."

"General, something is approaching us from the cruiser debris," the captain notified him.

The captain enlarged the view of the debris field. Thousands of small spherical objects had emerged from within the cruiser and were headed for the _Finalizer_.

"Magnetic mines," Hux muttered and then cursed under his breath. "Shoot the mines!"

All turbolaser fire was directed at the mines. Even though hundreds were destroyed, there were still more than enough to damage the _Finalizer_.

A dozen of them hit first, but there were no explosions, no convulsions; it was as if the hadn't even contacted the destroyer.

"General," the captain started. "They are shield mines."

Shield mines attached to a ship's shields and redirected the shield energy to other attached mines until the shields were filled with holes in between them, like a net.

Hux looked around for Resistance fighters that would take advantage of their growing vulnerability. All the fighters were moving away from the _Finalizer_. Some were even jumping to hyperspace.

"What are you doing, Organa? There is no one to take advantage of your plan?" He said to himself. Then he saw it. The asteroid field that was around the Resistance station was moving toward the _Finalizer_ at an incredible speed, each asteroid having been fitted with thrusters.

"Evasive action!" He shouted. "And shoot those asteroids!"

The _Finalizer_ began tilting to port, but it was too late. The first asteroids began to impact the forward starboard side. Everyone on the command bridge lost their footing for a moment. There were too many. Great fireless holes were being ripped into the side of the _Finalizer_.

General Hux barked orders to the scrambling crew who were frantically trying to move out of the path. He looked up at the open view port and saw one massive asteroid heading for the command bridge from the right. The open holes in the shield were too small for the asteroid to pass, but the net-like nature of what was left of the shield simply broke it into three big asteroids that continued toward the bridge. The officers and crew on the bridge began to scream and run from the room. General Hux, realized the futility of the situation and resigned himself to his fate. He stood tall, his hands clasped behind his back and stared defiantly at the asteroids as they impacted the command bridge. His smile was gone, but his bitter striving vanished as well.


	26. Episode IX: 5 The Darkness Revealed

The stygian night was dark making the woods even more intimidating than usual. Two men restrained a woman by the arms as she struggled to free herself. The one to her left was a brute of a man with long blonde hair and an unkempt beard. His uneven smile and rough eyes were as pleasant as a rancor's. To the woman's left was a cloaked man, an electro-staff strapped on his back. His appearance had the complete opposite effect on an observer. He was lean, but strong and tall. His dark hair was cut short and ordered; his clean-shaven face was exceptionally handsome. Except for the fact that he was man handling a woman, one would assume by his appearance that he was a pleasant man.

Behind the three of them, another was standing sentinel. An attractive woman, her long russet hair pulled back to keep it out of her face. Her eyes were a striking hue of purple, a feature that she often used to her advantage as men found that, among other features, too seductive to resist. At the moment her purple eyes were focused down the barrel of her precision blaster at the back of the prisoner's head.

They waited in the darkness of the night. The only faint light emitted was from a small powered lantern that quietly hummed in the otherwise silent woods. A band of eight dark figures approached from the between the trees. Seven of them followed one. The seven followers remained in the forest shadows as the lead man stepped into the light.

The leader had dark brown hair, but was graying prematurely at the sides and it feathered out slightly. His face was rough and hardened, witnessing to years of strife. There was a cold calculation in his almost black eyes.

He nodded to the two men holding the woman. "Well done, Gabo and Kiam. You can release her."

They threw her brutishly to the ground. She fell to her knees and elbows before she could hold out her hands to catch herself.

"Keep her in check, Lura." The man ordered the woman with purple eyes. She did not move her sight from its target.

He crouched down to get near the woman.

"Deborah, what are you doing here?" There was no amount of compassion in his voice. This was an inquisition.

She gave no answer, but just looked at the forest floor. The man lifted her chin tenderly and made her look directly at him.

"Come now, dear. You don't have to be difficult." He smiled. "You know I can make you talk. I won't be afraid to use my inquisitor techniques, even on my wife." This was no idle threat. He had been taken from his family at a young age and trained in the last days of the Empire as an inquisitor.

She was adamant and unmoveable, and she did not say a word.

"Lura tells me that you had Rey here. Now why would you bring our daughter all the way out here, I wonder." He said confidently.

Deborah still remained silent.

"And here I had other plans for this evening. You have a way of always getting in the way, Deborah." He stood up and turned to the seven behind him in the shadows.

"You, go do what we have arranged; and I will meet you shortly."

The seven disappeared like wraiths into the woods.

"Do you want any of us to go with them, Ren?" Kiam, the handsome man asked.

"No, no," the man replied as if it was an absurd question. "I do not want you three among those bounty hunters tonight. Trust me on that. But back to this matter."

He paced back and forth a few times and looked up at the forest canopy which was barely visible in the night.

"Why would you bring Rey here?" He said to himself. He then looked at her directly. "And what have you done with her?"

She gave no answer and stared blankly at his face. She did not focus on him.

He leapt toward her in a crouch and grabbed her neck, throwing her to the ground and leaning over her; a predator and his prey. He prided himself in his unpredictable violence.

"Where is she?" He growled.

She swung and boxed his ear, but he shook it off. He used his other hand to grab her wrist and put his knee on her other forearm.

"Where is she!"

She gasped. "I knew you would turn on us. You hate the Jedi more than you love your daughter."

Ren's eyes brightened at the realization.

"Ah, there is something about _her_ then," Ren stated. He let up on her neck. "She is strong. Strong in the Force?"

He watched her closely. Her eyes widened in a moment of fear.

"Yes, that's it, isn't it. You're giving it away. But why did I not notice sooner?"

Again she would not answer. His eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"You hid that from me. I see it now. You hid Rey's abilities from me."

He rose up off of her and clenched his fists.

"You hid her from me!" he screamed, as if he could knock her out with his voice.

She did not wince but rose to her own feet.

"Yes, I did." She said confidently. "And now I am glad for it. You will never find her!"

"Deborah," his face softened rather abruptly, and his voice became calm. He took a few relaxing breaths and looked thoughtful. "Things have worked out very differently than you and I had planned years ago."

He smiled to himself. "Remember, that time at Cloud City. We were so happy then."

Deborah did not respond to his change in demeanor.

"Those were good days," he said, then lowered his head and was silent for a moment.

"That is the way I'm going to remember you," Ren stated. Then he addressed his guards.

"Take her to the Stygeon system for preparation. They will know what to do."

Deborah glowered at him. "Do whatever you want with me, kill me even; but you will never find Rey."

Ren laughed. "Honey, I'm a Jedi hunter. I will find her."

She punched him square in the jaw. He took a step back. Gabo and Kiam quickly grabbed her arms; and Lura put the rifle to the back of her head, ready to fire.

Ren composed himself after being caught off his guard.

"Don't shoot her, Lura. We need her for now." He leaned closer to Deborah and whispered to her. "You see, I'm going to use you to find her. As for killing you . . . well, you will wish that that is what I would do to you. Take her away."

….

The sealed blast door of the Resistance station lit up with erratic metal sparks as the stormtroopers melted their way through. Eight Resistance fighters focused, with their fingers on the trigger of their blasters, and waited for whoever emerged from the forced entry. The door gave way with a metallic thud and fell into the corridor. They began to fire, knowing their lives would be short-lived if their blasts did not find the enemy. One stormtrooper fell through the open door, dead from a chest wound, but no blaster fire was returned by the First Order. The Resistance fighters could not see what was beyond the clouded opening, but continued to fire nonetheless, the bloody blaster fire causing the smoke to flash crimson.

Then they saw two black streaks dancing in the gray cloud, deflecting blaster fire; a shadowy silhouette at the center. Two inky black blades whirled opposite each other, so dark that they appeared to suck the light directly out of the air. It was, however, not two separate blades, but a black double-bladed lightsaber staff, and its wielder, a darkly cloaked woman. No blaster fire harmed her, as she deflected every shot. She walked calmly through the door, perfectly safe. She spun and whipped her short staff effortlessly as the deflected blaster fire hit the walls and floor around her. Then, in a moment, she held out her hands, her eyes turned red with yellow irises, and the red rage of the dark side took her. A dozen laser blasts stopped instantly in the air, some crackling inches from her hands. The Resistance fighters stopped firing abruptly. They froze, unable to move. Fear was on their faces. Each was lifted off the ground and writhed in agony. Rey held them inches off the ground, then with her other hand she pushed forward, the laser blasts returning to their sources and killing all eight of the fighters.

She dropped her hands and the men fell to the ground. She walked determinedly onward and stepped over the dead bodies. The rest of the stormtroopers followed behind.

….

Finn had given the order to evacuate, but a few soldiers remained behind to guard the rest that were fleeing. Finn and R2-D2 were busy at work at a computer relay station, readying the final plan. R2-D2 was hooked into the database and was preparing all departing ships for detachment from the station. Finn was starting a countdown for explosives, intended to destroy the station once everyone had evacuated.

He entered the final activation code, and the detonation timer began—eight minutes. The detonation was irreversible.

He picked up his transceiver and informed everyone left to evacuate.

"That will do it. Let's go, R2," he said and began to walk out of the control room.

R2-D2 beeped at him.

Finn looked at a small display on his wrist that translated R2-D2's beeps and whines. He stopped dead in his tracks as he read it.

"Is this true?" He asked.

The astromech droid beeped again.

"Rey is here?" Finn bent over R2-D2. "Where?"

R2-D2 beeped and whistled.

Finn eagerly read the translation and stood up nervously. He made a step in one direction, then stopped and looked thoughtful. "Okay, R2, you get yourself out of here. I will find my own way. Got it?"

There was a response of more beeps and a metallic whine.

"Thanks, R2." Finn ran off down a corridor and R2-D2 left in another direction.

He ran down a few narrow halls. All the halls were narrow and claustrophobic since they were make-shift corridors that attached each individual station and decommissioned ship.

"What am I doing?" Finn said to himself as he ran. "What am I doing? What am I doing?"

He ran and turned a corner too tightly, hitting his shin on the corner.

"Slimy Fambaas!" He exclaimed and hobbled down the hall as fast as he could.

Ahead at an intersection in front of him he saw the dark cloaked image of Rey across the corridor, followed by stormtroopers.

"Rey!" He called out.

The stormtroopers stopped and immediately pointed their weapons at him.

Finn held up his hands and took a half step back.

"What am I doing?" He muttered again.

Rey returned into view and slid between the troopers, her eyes still red with rage. She held out her hand. Finn stiffened and began to lift off the ground.

He struggled to speak and stuttered. "Rey . . . Listen."

Rey tilted her head slightly to the left. Finn could feel his throat begin to tighten. He did not have even seconds.

"You're in danger!" He blurted out with his last agonal breath, then gagged trying to breathe in.

Rey's eyes returned to her normal brown, but the angry countenance remained. She released her hold on him.

Finn gasped and inhaled deeply. He fell to the ground on his knees.

Rey stared at him but said nothing.

He clutched his neck and spoke between coughs. "Damn, Rey. You don't think that was a little bit too much?"

He panted catching his breath. "You need to leave. The station is going to blow up. If you stay here you will die."

Rey studied Finn, then turned to the troopers. "Take him prisoner and return to the shuttle."

"Yes, Lady Irata," the troopers replied.

Three of the stormtroopers rushed forward to restrain Finn, one on each arm and one behind with a blaster aimed at his back. Rey turned and exited.

….

The shuttle crossed the distance between the station and the star destroyers easily, as the Resistance fighters had all jumped to hyperspace. The _Finalizer_ was destroyed and two of the other star destroyers as well. The two in the center of the line were trying to deal with stray magnetic shield mines, and the remaining five had varying damage to their shields. Hundreds of fragmented and destroyed Resistance and First Order fighters were scattered throughout the battle field. However, the super star destroyer was unharmed.

Behind them the Alderaan station was quiet, its demise forthcoming. All at once the center of the station imploded, causing some of the hollowed out asteroids to rush toward the center, corridors splintering then collapsing inward. A moment later, the intense imploding gravity ceased, and it seemed to stabilize for half a second before erupting outward with a ring of ignited gas that dissipated rapidly in the vacuum of space. Fragmented and jagged remnants of the station blasted outwardly, rushing at the star destroyers.

Most of the star destroyers were safe from the rushing debris field, but the two center destroyers struggling with magnetic mines were vulnerable. The shrapnel pierced the hull of one of the star destroyers throughout, which would have been survivable had not a large corridor fragment broken deep into the reactor core. The resulting explosion broke the destroyer into two small pieces, the command bridge and the leading bow. The other destroyer struggling with magnetic mines survived, but all but two of its auxiliary thrust engines were damaged. The ship was crippled.

Rey's shuttle entered the landing bay on the super star destroyer. She exited the shuttle first and with purpose.

A female lieutenant general walked briskly up to her. The lieutenant general was a woman in her sixties, with gray hair bound tightly under her officer's cap. She was a medium build woman that carried herself with confidence; the confidence bought with experience."Lady Irata," she started. "Three destroyers have fallen, including the _Finalizer_. It appears that General Hux is dead, and Captain Effoc's destroyer has damaged thrusters and cannot jump to hyperspace. Admiral Dentin has her fleet standing by to receive escape pods from his destroyer."

"Leave them, General Mors," Rey said.

Rey's harsh expression betrayed her thoughts. "Let them survive if they can. But let no one receive their escape pods. Let them learn to rescue themselves."

"They will die, Lady Irata," Mors stated, not out of concern for their lives, but for the loss of military _resources._

"So be it." Rey returned. "Order the fleet to return to Coruscant. You are general now."

The stormtroopers filed in behind Rey with their prisoner.

"Prepare this prisoner for questioning, General," she said, not looking back at Finn.

"Yes, Lady Irata," Mors replied.


	27. Episode IX: 6 Lost Hope of Ben Solo

Kaller, a planet located in the Outer Rim of the galaxy, was known for its diverse ecosystems, from forests to mountains. The trees were not as immense as those found on the forest moon of Endor, but they were vast and thick.

The forest of Kaller was quiet, the insects having now exhausted their songs for the evening. The thick foliage did not allow sounds to travel far, and for that reason, they were known to be places of secret meetings and nefarious dealings. This night was no different. The major city, Plateau City, was far away; so only those who wanted to escape or hide from society frequented these woods. One could be within twenty yards from another and have no indication. It was the perfect place for a group of young Padawans planning to do what their master had forbidden.

Five of them moved through the underbrush quickly, nervous and excited. They were not more than a quarter of a mile from the open glade where they had come from, where they had left the rest of their colleagues. They were not eager to go too deeply into the woods as they knew the dangers, fearing men more than beasts.

There was no definite leader, but one was carrying a package that the others wanted to stay close to. He was a young man, but the oldest of the group, being sixteen standard years old— a ruddy headed youth who knew for tonight he was the most important because of what he carried.

The five of them whispered to each other in a not-so-subtle way, then laughed a little too loudly. Then they hushed each other and got quiet again. This pattern repeated. Occasionally one would trip, and another would cast a playful rebuke.

The brunt of most of the rebukes was the youngest, a dark-skinned boy about twelve standard years old. He was goofy and was always trying to impress the older ones with his mock bravery.

"This reminds me of back home when I was hunting a sand panther. Nasty creature," the youngest said.

"What are you talking about, Darren?" the oldest asked. "Sand panthers are desert creatures. How could you hunt one in the woods?"

"I chased one into the woods, Tanut," Darren replied.

"You? You chased a vicious, venomous animal probably twice your size out of the desert into a forest near by?" Tanut countered. The group of them climbed over some fallen trees.

The only female of the group, a dark-skinned girl with black hair braided behind her, spoke up. "Sounds like a tall tale, from a short kid." She smiled and roughed up Darren's hair.

"I'm serious, Sakiah," he replied. "I hunted it by myself—and I caught it too."

"And you ate it, I bet," Tanut roasted.

"No, I let it go," Darren replied.

"What for?" Sakiah asked.

"I just wanted to see if I could," Darren said, tripping again.

"What do you think about this, Jax?" Tanut asked.

"Huh?" Jax was a blond, freckled boy who was not paying attention but had his face planted in a handheld HoloNet device while he walked. "Whatever. Did you guys know that Plateau City's power grid can be altered so that the public lighting can strobe? I can do it from here . . ." He fidgeted with the device and then started laughing to himself.

"Anyway, I don't think you are fooling any of us, Darren," Tanut said.

"Fine, believe what you want. I know I did it," Darren replied.

"I believe you," the fifth boy spoke up. He was a dark-haired boy with a quiet countenance, about fourteen standard years old.

"Really, Ben?" Sakiah questioned.

"Yeah," Ben replied. "Why not? Darren, though he's small, has more courage than all of you put together. It was his idea to come out into the woods for this, remember. You all were scared to do it."

Ben put his hand on Darren's shoulder. Darren smiled back at Ben in the dark, although no one could see it. This was the young Ben Solo, the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, and grandson of Anakin Skywalker.

"Of course," Tanut said, "that could just mean he's just more stupid than the rest of us."

"Maybe, but I haven't ever heard of you capturing a sand panther in the woods and letting it go," Ben replied. "But I think we've come far enough. Let's get to business."

The five of them stopped as Tanut dropped his pack which made a muted thud on the dry leaves. He unclasped the top flap, opened it up, and pulled out a rounded canister with tawny-colored powder in it.

The other four looked on eagerly.

"The best spice you can find on Kaller," Tanut said proudly.

"I bet it isn't as good as the kind we have on Corellia," Darren stated.

Ben leaned in toward Darren and whispered, "You might want to tone it down, Shorts."

"What quality is it?" Sakiah asked, hiding her naivete and trying to sound knowledgeable.

"How about Gree spice?" Tanut said as he rotated the canister in his hands.

They all looked on eagerly as Tanut spooned the powder into a shallow spice burner to pass around. This procedure enamoured them all so much that they did not notice the seven dark figures approaching from within the shadowy woods. They passed the spice burner around and each took in a breath of the smoke, not imagining that they were being surrounded. A crack of a twig snapping broke the forest stillness. Ben looked up, but could not see into the woods clearly enough to make anything out. "What was that?" he asked.

At that moment, a loud, metallic buzzing noise hummed from nearby. The kids each stood up and drew their lightsabers. The spice burner fell to the detritus. They stood back to back and ignited their weapons, green and blue lightsaber blades lighting up their faces.

"Who's out there?" Sakiah called out.

A gruff voice could be heard from the woods. "Throw down your weapons."

The Padawans looked toward the direction of the voice. Darren stepped toward it; but Ben put a hand on his shoulder, cautioning him. "Come out and show yourselves," Ben called out.

A male Weequay, with short chin horns, walked out of the woods into the light of the lightsabers, the brown tough skin of his face stretching to make a grimace.

"You," Tanut said. "He's the one I bought the spice from."

"Put down your weapons," the Weequay said again.

"Never," replied Sakiah, standing tall and defiantly.

The Weequay nodded his head toward the humming noise. A light turned on to illuminate more of the woods. Another Weequay was holding up a bright powered torch with one hand, and a blaster in his other. Two other men were nearby, their faces scarred and sinister. Two female humanoids were with them, one blue with brown hair and the other pale white and bald. Each had blasters of various makes pointed at the Padawans. A green female Rodian, with large black eyes, was set a little further back with a rectangular buzzing machine resting on the ground. She knelt over it, with one hand on the top and another hand on her blaster.

"Now, we can't have you fighting us with those sabers, can we? We were ordered to take you alive. At least the pay is better if we do." The first Weequay stated then waved at the Rodian.

She pressed a button on the machine. It's buzzing noise increased its pitch and grew louder. At once the lightsabers flew out the Padawan's hands and attached to the box.

"Interesting device, don't you think?" the Weequay said. "Sucks up Kyber crystals; a little toy our employer loaned to us."

Ben reached out his hand to call his lightsaber back. Immediately all the blasters were focused on him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the Weequay said.

Ben lowered his hand. They were caught, and without a fight. Ben cursed under his breath.

….

The sky of Dathomir was blood red, and its desert terrain was dark and jagged. The harsh conditions of this world left only fierce and dangerous creatures capable of surviving. Even the sentient inhabitants could be vicious, most notable were Darth Maul, and Asaj Ventress, both mighty dark-side users during the Clone Wars. Most of their race had been eradicated by the Sith Lord Dooku decades ago. A few very small clans remained and were trying to rebuild in this savage land. They were an enduring, but not an invincible, people. However, those clans were far away from this place. A sharp mountain jutted from a level plateau. At its base a large cave opened, its gaping maw was dark, but not silent.

A low growl could be heard from within it, as if the mountain itself was irritated. The growl slowly grew with intensity, and a harsh rhythmic crash could be heard, as if the open cave was coughing. The rhythmic crash became louder; the growl became a roar. The dark cavern filled with a dusty cloud as if it was about to breathe fire; but instead of fire, a small figure ran through the smoke, a young man, dark-haired and in his late-twenties, Ben Solo. He had come to Dathomir after he had been carried away from the First Order by Chewbacca, not able to remain with the Resistance, his guilt preventing him. Now as he ran, he looked behind him at the pursuing behemoth hidden in the subterranean mouth.

The pounding footsteps continued. A blast of dusty wind erupted from the cave, and a horrible roar filled the air. Two great clawed hands grasped the edges of the cave, as a fifty-foot tall rancor emerged from the clouded cavern, its gnarly toothed mouth opening in another roar. He stepped out in pursuit of the fleeing Ben, his massive feet crushing the earth as he went.

Ben ran up a small mound and turned around. He stood staring at the beast, two lightsabers hooked to his waist; one his grandfather's, the other a new black handled lightsaber he had crafted within the last six months. He held out his hand to lift a three-foot diameter rock with the Force and threw it at the rancor. The rock hit it square in the head. It shook off the blow as if it were an insect, and then reached down for its own boulder to throw. In a moment, a six-foot boulder was flying toward Ben.

His eyes widened; and he ran forward down the hill toward the rancor, ducking under the incoming boulder. It bounced off of the top of the hill, smashing the summit. Ben continued to run toward the rancor and between its legs.

He grabbed his new lightsaber, leaving Anakin's hitched to his side. Igniting it, it glowed yellow against the mahogany ground. He slashed at the beast's left ankle, but its muddy hide was too thick to cause any serious damage. It only served to anger the rancor more.

The rancor lifted its lacerated foot and tried to crush Ben with it, but Ben ran close to the right leg and came out from under it.

"Come on!" He taunted the rancor. This was not an over-confident taunt; but a plea, sincere and passionate. He used the Force to cast another rock at it, to no effect.

The rancor turned to its right to follow. It swiped at Ben to scoop him up and narrowly missed.

Ben ran toward the edge of the plateau, a six-foot crack separated him from the edge. He leapt across and stood on the flat rock about ten yards deep and twenty wide. The rancor pursued him, its steps shaking the ground. The flat area that Ben stood on rumbled. The large beast stopped at the crack separating them, not that it could not step over it; but its feeble mind tried to assess the situation.

Ben took Anakin's lightsaber in his hand and ignited it. He crossed the blue and yellow blades in front of him.

"What are you waiting for!" he screamed.

The rancor stepped over to the flat slab. A crack resounded and echoed back from the nearby mountains. The beast reached for Ben with its crooked claws. Ben swung his blades cutting into one of its massive fingers, severing it. The rancor roared in anger.

Ben's face showed great pain and turmoil as if he was the one to have suffered the wound.

"Why won't you do it!" he cried out.

The beast took another step closer and picked up a rock in the other hand to crush Ben. Ben jumped to the side as the boulder came down in its claw. He sliced violently and with hatred at its hand, causing a deep charred gash. The rancor then swung its wounded hand to swipe Ben off the edge.

Ben leapt over it. His eyes beginning to glow red and yellow.

"I won't stop!" He screamed again. "I won't ever stop!"

The rancor tried again to crush Ben with its fists; but Ben moved back to the edge, almost losing his balance to avoid the blow. He jumped on the rancor's lowered hands and stabbed at its eyes with each lightsaber, blinding it.

The monster drew back in pain and fear, for all beasts know that. It fell to the ground clawing at its eyes and slamming its feet on the slab. Another splintering crack could be heard.

The red and yellow glow from his eyes vanished. Ben fell to his knees and held out his arms to his sides, the blue blade of his grandfather and his new yellow blade glowing together. Tears fell from his eyes.

"Why won't you do it! Why won't you kill me?" He fell on his face, the lightsabers blades disappearing and the rancor rolling in pain before him. A final bursting crack caused the slab to break and give way. The ground tilted to the edge and began to fall. Ben gripped the rocks as the slab slid down the side, the rancor falling down before him. There was no escaping the fall. He did not want to. Rocks, dirt, monster, and man fell over a hundred feet and collapsed in a cloud of smoke.

The rancor's mass was too much for it to survive such a fall, its body broken open by the fall. Ben, being smaller survived the fall, but barely, having been partially covered in rubble. For a moment he was motionless and breathless before he began to cough up the dirt and blood. The iron taste filled his mouth. He was ready to face death, but it had not claimed him yet. A line of blood flowed down over his face. He tried to raise himself up with his arms, but was too weak from the fall. Rocks pinned his lower back and legs to the ground.

He made an attempt at a false smile and let his body find its rest in the soil. He coughed again and winced at the pain. Then he closed his eyes.

"Ben," a voice broke the silence.

Ben did not stir.

"Ben," the voice said again.

Ben lifted his head to see who was calling him. In front of him stood a robed figure, glowing blue against the red setting.

Ben's mouth opened, blood dripping from his lip. "How . . . How can this be?"

"Ben," said the figure. "You must stop seeking death."

"Luke?" Ben muttered, and tried to raise himself again, but failed.

"You must return to Takodana, and seek Maz Kanata. She and another Jedi Master will lead you to the way you have lost."

Ben gasped, "Why?"

"You have forgotten who you are," Luke replied.

"No," Ben struggled. "Why didn't . . . you kill me?"

"Because I see my father in you."

Ben clenched his teeth and squinted his eyes in a grimace, whether from pain or despair was uncertain. He grasped the dirt in his fists and coughed up more blood, tears mixing with it. He tried with all his strength to rise again; but collapsed under the exertion, exhausted and struggling for breath. The dark red soil faded from his sight into darkness as he, starved for oxygen, lost consciousness.


	28. Episode IX: 7 Subtlety

The five young Padawans sat defeatedly in a circle, their hands bound with tight fetters behind their backs. Three of the bounty hunters stood nearby, aiming blasters at them with vigilant attention. The humanoid women and one of the Weequay men were chosen as guards since they were the most resistant to Jedi mind tricks; one of the human men having had learned the dangers of Jedi mind control with his life. He lay dead outside of the circle, a charred blaster wound in his chest after Sakiah had used a Jedi mind trick to attempt an escape.

The kyber crystal magnet was turned off, now that the Padawans were restrained, and the lightsabers were collected in a pack, carried by the Rodian female.

"What do they want us for?" Darren asked Ben in a whisper.

"Apparently there is a bounty for us," Ben replied.

"Why?" Darren questioned.

"I don't know, Shorts."

The Weequay guard kicked Ben in the thigh. "Enough of that!"

Ben and Darren straightened up and became quiet.

The powered torches remained on, illuminating a small patch of the forest. The bounty hunters were apparently not worried much about being discovered, although the other Weequay, the Rodian, and the other man were in the dark shadows watching sentinel for any approachers.

"It sure is taking a long time for our employer to come," the pale white female said.

"I was sure he was coming right behind us," the Weequay said.

There was a snapping of twigs in the forest not far away.

"There, that must be him," the blue female said.

An electric hum could barely be heard as some more underbrush movement created a rustling in the distance. Shortly after that, there was a blaster shot, followed by an alarming scream.

The three bounty hunter guards turned their blasters to the woods.

"What was that?" the white female asked.

For a moment there was silence. The Weequay wiped the sweat from his face and stared, eyes wide open into the inky black void. Another rustle of vegetation was audible. The Weequay reactively squeezed the trigger, sending a red blaster streak into the darkness. The pale white humanoid telegraphed a disapproving glance in his direction.

Just then the bounty hunter man ran into the light yelling, "It's him!"

A blaster from behind him in the shadows shot him in the back. The man fell dead at their feet.

The bounty hunters raised their blasters and fired blindly into the dark woods where they saw the shot originate. A green lightsaber ignited; the same electric buzz they had heard earlier radiated from the blade. A robed figure was seen in the pale light. He blocked the blaster fire and cast away the blaster that he had fired. The figure rushed forward, blocking fire with the green lightsaber. He held out his arm and pushed the Weequay with the Force, his body flying back and impacting a large tree trunk. He blocked a blast that the blue woman hand fired and deflected it back at her, striking her in the abdomen.

The robed figure then pulled out another lightsaber in his other hand, the lightsaber hilt having a circular knuckle guard. Its blade erupted red. He rushed the final pale female, slicing the gun in half with the green saber and impaling her with the other.

The male Weequay gathering himself, just then was able to aim at the assailant. His mouth dropped when he saw him in the light.

"You?" The Weequay said. "You—"

He could not get another word out, his throat closing as the attacker choked him with the Force. His life of bounty hunting ended with one painful agonal breath.

The hooded figure then walked over to the dying blue female who was looking down at her bleeding abdominal wound and clutching it with both hands. She panted heavily with the pain and looked up at him, but before she could fully understand what was happening, the man made a final swipe with the red lightsaber and cut off her head.

The figure extinguished his green and red lightsabers and removed his hood.

"Ren!" Jax blurted out.

The others were relieved at his arrival, but Ben was aloof and observant.

"I'll say, you are all very lucky I was passing by," he stated. "Here let's get those bonds off of you."

He helped them free their hands, then produced the pack that the Rodian was carrying.

"You all should be more careful with your lightsabers," he said. "Have you learned nothing these last few years?"

They all looked a little sheepish at the rebuke but took their lightsabers back.

"Should we get back to the glade?" Tanut asked, "before Master Luke realizes we have been away."

"Oh, don't worry about Skywalker," Ren said. "I happen to know he has gone on a sudden mission and may not be back for a few days."

"What? Where did he go?" Darren asked.

"Haven't a clue," Ren said. "But in the meantime, there is no rush to return. I just wonder what you were all doing out here tonight."

He picked up a spice burner that was nearby lying on the ground and looked at them inquisitively.

"I swear that wasn't ours," Tanut quipped. "I think the bounty hunters dropped it!"

"Maybe," Ren smiled. "I don't care. But why not take advantage."

The Padawans looked at each other and smiled.

"But let's get away from these bounty hunters, in case their employer shows up."

The rest agreed with that idea.

It was not long before they were passing around a spice burner and laughing. Ben sat across from Ren and was sober. Ren had remained sober, too. Darren was funnier than usual, his antics more elaborate and uncoordinated as his inhibitions were removed. The rest laughed at him and each other.

"Ren! I'm your man," Darren yelled out as he clumsily pointed at him.

"Look at him, claiming to be a man!" Tanut laughed.

"I mean," Darren said, "you saved my life. I owe you."

Ren smiled. "Owe me what you will, but it may well be that I need you someday—and I would be proud to have a Jedi knight like you at my side."

Darren's childish face beamed with pride.

Some time went on and the Padawans recounted the evening's events with greater heroic exploits than were accurate.

Ren stood up from the group and looked at Ben. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

Ben got up and joined him. The rest kept up their mirth and hardly cared for their departure. They walked into the woods a short way. "Something is bothering you, Solo," Ren started.

"You used the dark side back there," Ben Solo answered.

"Ah," Ren said. "I see."

"The others know little of that, but I know. The way you choked out the bounty hunter—and that there." Ben pointed to Ren's red lightsaber hanging from his hip. "That's new."

Ren was silent for a moment then said, "Your grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, was a great man."

Ben appeared shocked that Ren would bring up his grandfather.

"What do you know of my grandfather?" Ben asked.

"Much actually. I had known of him as Vader when I was very young, but I didn't find out about his true identity as Anakin until much later. He was an honorable and powerful

man . . . though he had his faults."

"Faults? You mean that he had become Darth Vader. That is not what I would call a mere fault," Ben countered.

Ren took a deep breath. "There is much about your grandfather that you do not know, Solo. Your grandfather was serving a purpose greater than himself. He was bringing balance to the Force and peace to the galaxy. Don't judge him for using the dark side to accomplish that."

"And why not, it is the dark side that brings suffering," Ben said.

"That is what you have been taught by your Uncle Luke, a man that only knows the light side of the Force. You must consider that it is not the dark side that brings suffering, rather lack of balance that brings suffering, either too far to the light or the dark."

"I don't agree," Ben said. "I have never seen my uncle bring suffering with the Force."

"Perhaps, but I am sure you will and soon. Then you will understand. Do you not remember what the prophecy about your grandfather was?"

"That he would bring balance to the Force."

"And did he?" Ren asked.

"Yes, he destroyed the Sith Emperor Palpatine."

"And so the dark side and the light side were then balanced?"

Ben thought for a second and furrowed his brow with a realization.

"You understand what I am getting at, don't you? But it is hard to accept the truth of it. Your grandfather did not bring balance to the Force. He had only destroyed the dark side in the Sith Lord but not the light side in the Jedi."

"No, that can't be right," Ben said. "That would mean he should have killed Luke, too."

Ren did not respond to this statement and let Ben continue in his thoughts for a moment. He ignited both of his lightsabers and crossed them in front of him, green and red.

"Your grandfather had the balance of the Force in him. He was able to control both the dark and the light side. But he was not able to bring that balance to the galaxy. He strove to that purpose but was cut short. So you wonder how I could use the dark side. I desire to follow your grandfather's legacy, both as Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader. That is not something those who are unbalanced in the Force can understand."

"So you are going to try and kill Master Luke," Ben reasoned.

"No, No!" Ren exclaimed as if shocked. He replaced his lightsabers at his side. "He is my friend. I only seek inner balance. Bringing balance to the galaxy is for someone else to do."

He paused a moment after that comment, then continued.

"But I am afraid that Luke will not understand; and someday he may want to destroy me, even if I am completely faithful to him. That is the problem with an unbalanced Force in a man. It produces suffering as I said before."

"I'm just not sure about all of this," Ben said. "I am afraid that I can't agree with you."

Ren put his hand on Ben's shoulder. "You don't have to agree with me. The fact that you have considered it and have kept an open mind shows what kind of man you are. It is a first step into a larger world."

Ben took the compliment with grace. "How do you know all of this?"

"I have had the fortune of coming across many Jedi in my life, and it is amazing what you can learn by asking the right questions in the right way." Ren smiled the smile of a man that knows he is only a few plays away from winning a game of Moebius chess. "But it will be morning soon. Let's get back to our knights."


	29. Episode IX: 8 Inquiries

Finn was restrained, hand and foot on an interrogation table, much like the one he had witnessed when he had been a stormtrooper for the First Order. His friend, Poe, had been confined to one the day Finn had saved him and thereby defected from the First Order over a year ago. Now Finn found himself on the opposite side of that situation.

He struggled to move his arms and legs, studying to see if there was any way to loosen his bonds; but he knew that all his endeavors to free himself would be pointless. The attempt was simply to bide his time, keeping him aware and ready for whatever inquisition was coming. Hours passed in isolation, but the boredom was preferable to the torture; and he knew torture was coming.

The prison cell door eventually opened, and Rey walked coldly into the room; instructing two stormtroopers to remain outside. She did not look directly at Finn but walked and positioned herself squarely in front of him. There was a moment of silence between them. Finn bit his lip, thinking of a million things he might say. In the end, he broke the silence.

"Do I call you Rey or Darth Irata?"

Rey squinted her eyes then looked at him, and with a calm voice asked, "Where is the Resistance base?"

Finn shook his head in disappointment and said sadly, "I will not answer questions from Darth Irata."

She stepped closer her dark cape wafting slightly with the movement. "You will answer me. You know what the First Order can do. You know what I can do. Now, where is the Resistance base?"

Finn stared directly into Rey's emotionless eyes. "What has Snoke done to you?"

Rey's anger seethed. "Where is the Resistance base?"

"He's using you, and you know it. You are his tuk'ata hound on a chain."

She punched him in the face. "Answer me!"

"Is this his test? To see if you can prove yourself by torturing someone you care about? The same thing he did to Ben Solo when he sent him to kill Han, his father."

She gritted her teeth in anger and punched him again. "I am the one in charge here! I ask the questions."

Finn spat some blood to the side. "You think you are in charge. Maybe for the first time in your life, you think you're in charge."

"Shut-up!" Rey yelled. " _You_ are just a pawn of the Resistance. Don't tell me how I'm being used."

Finn laughed at that. "Snoke has fed you a bunch of garbage. You know better than that, Rey. You know it was the First Order that took me away from my family, to grow up in an army, and fight for them; to be _their_ pawn. I know you went through something like that, too. But you have joined the side that is doing that very thing!"

Rey did not want to respond to that. "Where is the Resistance base?" She returned to her questioning.

Finn did not change the subject. "And another thing! The Resistance doesn't own me. I didn't join them because I was against the First Order. I left the First Order for that reason. I joined the Resistance because of—" He stopped short before he could finish his sentence, surprised that his rant had arrived at this point.

Rey appeared to have a second of interest and paused surprised by her own curiosity. "Because of what?"

Finn did not answer immediately, but stared at Rey, his face a paradoxical image of concern and anger.

"Because there is something in this life more important than being in control."

Rey looked down at his bound arms and legs. For a moment she looked as if she might let him go, but the brief occasion passed and her face became hard again.

"There is nothing more important. You, wait for fourteen years. Wait for someone to save you. You, fight to eat every day, not knowing if you will starve, or if some other dying brute overpowers you to take your water. You do that every day for your whole life, then you can tell me that there is something more important than being in control!" She stepped closer to Finn and leaned in. She raised her open hand with fingers spread over Finn's forehead. "As for your refusal to tell me where the Resistance base is, you will see what kind of control I really have," she said as she began to force her way into his mind.

Finn screamed out at the invasion, sweat beginning to drip from his face.

Rey could see images in his memory and feel his emotions. Working backward from the present moment she saw him trying to escape his bonds on the table, then the dark transport in the shuttle. She could feel his fear acutely. The images of his encounter with Rey at the Alderaanian station rose to the surface. She could feel the choking sensation in her own throat when she had almost killed him. She had expected to feel his fear at that moment, but she did not. She felt how he desperately wanted to warn her. An emotion rushed into her, his emotion from the memory.

Rey gasped and quickly stepped back, removing herself from his mind. Tears began falling from her eyes. Finn dropped his head in exhaustion.

Rey looked afraid and unsure of what to do. She moved swiftly to the door, opened it and exited, saying to the stormtroopers as she left, "Send in the torture droid and make him talk."

….

Ben Solo awoke in a mud hut and on a hard bed, framed with bone and animal skin. He tried to get up but squinted his eyes.

A young Zabrak put a hand on him to push him back into the bed.

"Don't move. You need your rest," the youth said. He was a teenage male with yellow and black facial tattoos, the horns of his head just beginning to break through.

"My head hurts," Ben said.

"I think you will find everything hurts," the boy said. "You're lucky nothing was broken. Lucky I found you, too. If I hadn't been tracking that rancor, you would have died out there. Did you actually go into its lair?"

Ben tried to sit up, but winced and laid back down. "Yeah, why?"

"That cave once belonged to the nightsisters, so the legends say," the boy replied. "They had a creature that gave them their power—a dark creature they called the Sleeper. One-of-a-kind, I think. At least they say it only reproduced once every thousand years."

"So," Ben said.

"You didn't see it, did you? They say it can take any shape." The boy looked eager.

"I was kind of busy with a rancor if you hadn't noticed," Ben replied.

"Too bad," the boy said and hung his head. "It would have been a great story."

"And finding a half-dead man that fought a rancor isn't?" Ben said a little put off.

The boy shrugged as if unimpressed.

"I've got to go," Ben tried to get up.

The boy yelled for his father. "Father, he's awake!"

An older man entered from outside. His facial tattoos were similar to his son's, yellow and black. "Thanks, Kato. Now go get yourself something to eat. I'll take over."

The father brought a bowl to Ben.

"Here," he said to Ben, handing it to him. "It's meat broth. You deserve it. It's made from the rancor you killed."

Ben took it gratefully and sipped the broth. His face grimaced at the foul soup. He saw the father watching him drink it, so he forced the rest of the steaming soup down, trying not to taste it while burning the back of his throat in the process.

"How long have I been here?" he asked but did not know what to call the Zabrak.

"My name is Huuto. You have been unconscious for about three days, and seem to have had bad nightmares, too."

Ben felt the bandages on his body and limbs.

"Thank you."

"It's a harsh world, if we don't help each other, we all perish." The father said. "At least I'd want someone to do that for me or my son."

"I'm afraid I have to go," Ben said.

"I thought as much," Huuto said. "You appeared to be a man on a quest. No one fights a rancor for leisure. But I'm afraid moving is going to be very painful for you."

Ben stood up and almost fell over at the pain, then took a deep breath and stood straight.

"Looks like you are no stranger to pain," Huuto said.

Ben did not answer that comment. "How can I repay you for your kindness?"

"The rancor is payment enough. That will feed our clan well into the next dark season."

The young Zabrak entered. "He's going? Already?"

"Yes, son," Huuto said.

"Then he'll need these." He produced the two lightsabers and gave them to Ben.

"Thank you, Kato," his father said and put his hand on his son's shoulder.

Ben took the lightsabers from the boy. He saw the affection this father had for his son; and he appeared as if he was going to say something, but did not. Instead, Ben simply turned and left without another word.

After Ben had left the Zabrak hut, he wandered with great effort back through the red wasteland to his two passenger A-Wing; a new model fitted with a rear gunner position, much like the new TIE fighters had been. He had landed it about three kilometers from where he had fought the rancor. It took him a long time to make the trek with his injuries, but he had managed. After eating a small meal from his supplies and drinking a nutro-drink to rehydrate, the beaten man climbed in and set off for Takodana.

Takodana was on the opposite side of the galaxy directly through the Core. For that reason, he had to make a few stops on his journey in order to avoid running into a planet as he passed through the dense core of the galaxy in hyperspace. This gave him an opportunity to refuel and stock supplies as well.

When he finally arrived at the forest planet, he found himself at the rubble of Maz Kanata's old castle, the same castle that he had destroyed with the army of the First Order when he was searching to kill Luke Skywalker. There were only a few of the original pillars of stacked stone left of the structure, but in its center the broken rocks and walls had been removed and stacked anew to create a much smaller building that had a reinforced tarp over the top. A few furry Tynnans were working on the unfinished roof that eventually would replace the tarp.

Inside the make-shift tabernacle, drinks were being dispensed from a rock slab bar and patrons, albeit much fewer in number, reclined on second-hand chairs at wobbly tables. Ben looked in cautiously.

"You!" came a voice.

He looked up. Maz Kanata removed herself from behind the bar. A Kowakian monkey-lizard continued to serve drinks, knocking a few over and spilling the liquid over the table, as was her usual custom.

Ben tensed his shoulders preparing for the short-statured Maz to let him have it for his last visit.

She marched up to him. Her eyes, huge behind her glasses were not difficult to read. She grabbed his hand and made him take the drink she was holding. "I've kept this waiting for you." She smiled. "Now come over here and take a seat. You look like that rancor just about did you in, and we have a lot to talk about."

Ben looked as if he was in shock. "How did you know I was coming? How do you know about the rancor?"

"Oh dear, I see many things. I even know that you had a vision. But I'm not getting into how I know. There is not much time. Come now." She led him to a corner table, as isolated as was possible in that structure. He threw back the drink she gave him on the way to his seat, and sat with his back to the door, not caring for any danger anymore.

She wiped down the table with her waist rag. A measuring rod for the construction was sitting on the table. She moved it to one of the seats. "Starting all over. It reminds me of when I first opened this place. I'm sure you know what I mean." She looked closely at him. "I mean the starting over."

Ben huffed, "Yeah."

"It's hard, but not all bad," she said. "Look around."

Ben turned in his chair to look at the small number of patrons and workers.

"Not many," Maz said. "You get to know those that are truly loyal to you . . . if you stick around yourself."

Ben turned back to face Maz. "That is if you want to know. When you have done terrible things, you don't want to know which people will stick by you. You just don't want anyone to."

"That is true. But empty," she said.

He stared at the empty cup. "Sometimes I would rather just die."

A sharp whipping pain hit him on his left ear. "Ow!" he ejaculated.

Maz was holding the measuring stick. "Enough of that! I will not have you lying to me! Don't give me that _dying_ talk. If that were true, you wouldn't have made that!" She whipped his side where his new lightsaber was.

"Ow! Stop it!" he yelled.

"And you wouldn't have fought that rancor the way you did!" She struck him again on the shin.

"Would you quit it!"

"And you wouldn't have listened to the Jedi spirit that told you to come here." She attempted to hit him on the head again, but Ben caught it.

"Enough!" he said. Most of the patrons stopped their various activities for a moment to turn their attention to Maz and Ben.

Maz smiled. "There—and don't give me any of that self-hatred talk either." She pointed her little finger at him. "That is the only thing more ridiculous. As if anyone in the entire galaxy has ever really hated himself. You only hate being unable to make yourself happy. If anything that shows you love yourself _too_ much for your own good. But I'm sure you have never thought of that before." Her eyes pierced him for a moment. "So, tell me exactly why you did come," she then asked.

"I had a vision of Luke," Ben said in a low voice.

"Ah, I wondered who it would be. It would have either been him or the other one."

Ben furrowed his eyes in a confusing look.

"What did he say?" Maz continued.

"That you and some Jedi Master would train me," Ben said.

"No," Maz grew stern again. "That is not what he said. You need no training."

Ben thought again, "He said that you would show me the way that I have lost."

"Yes," she said, "that makes more sense."

She stood up, took off her waist rag and threw it to the Kowakian monkey-lizard behind the bar. "Grams, you're in charge for a while."

Grams laughed a sharp cackle and picked up the rag, knocking over another drink into the lap of a hammer-headed Ithonian.

Then she turned to Ben, "Let's go. We don't have much time."

"Where are we going?" Ben answered.

"We need to remind you of what you have forgotten. For that, I need to take you to a Jedi Master."

"What Jedi Master? Who is left?"

"We need to find Yoda," Maz stated flatly.

Ben squinted his eyes in disbelief and tenuous thought.

He let out a sigh. "I'm going to need another drink."

"No," Maz barked. "Let's go."


	30. Episode IX: 9 The Lie Takes Hold

The day was bright and clear on the open glade where Luke's Padawans had their camp. It was the morning after Ren had supposedly saved Ben Solo and his friends. There were twenty young apprentices of Luke, all youths to young adults. There was a general confusion among them as to where Luke had gone; but it was not bizarre for Luke to retreat a few times a year to seek a greater understanding of the Force. At those times he had usually told someone of his departure and how long he would be gone. However, this morning, the Padawans awoke to see Luke gone with no forewarning. Ren comforted the group, letting them know that the Force works in mysterious ways and that Luke would have had a good reason to rush off. He spoke as a faithful follower of Luke, and his demeanor was kind and fatherly with the youths.

It was not until late in the afternoon that a small, dual-engine small spacecraft returned. It was Luke's ship. It landed at the south end of the glade opposite the camp. R2-D2 exited first, being lowered by the astromech lift, and rushed off to Luke's hut, as if it was trying to avoid an impending conflict.

Luke emerged from the shuttle, a determination in his step. He wore a serious and angry countenance. The Padawans and Ren approached to greet him and inquire of where he had been. "Ren," Luke stated grimly. "We must talk."

"What is wrong, Master?" Ren feigned ignorance.

"I believe you know," Luke said. "But before I am to judge, you must speak your side."

Ren smiled a dark smile, hiding it from the Padawans, but wanting Luke to see.

"Whatever we are to discuss, we can do here. I am certain that I am unsure of what you are talking about. Perhaps it would be good for the Padawans to also hear what you have discovered on your secretive trip." He spoke loud enough for the students to hear, but he kept his voice calm to sound meek.

"Enough of that! You very well know. I can sense it in you now, though you have hidden it for some time."

"Well then, why don't you say it? I have nothing to hide." Ren turned to look at Ben. They made eye contact, and Ren nodded as if to confirm what they had talked about the night before.

Luke could see the glance at Ben but did not understand the significance. Though not understanding, a pang of jealousy for his Padawans rose within him.

"You have joined the dark side."

All but Ben gasped at the accusation.

"I should have seen it before now, but it is all too plain to me now."

Ren walked closer to Luke. "How could you accuse me? Have I not been completely loyal to you these last few years? This is how you repay me by accusing me in front of these Jedi knights?"

Luke could see Ren's subtle scowl that the rest would not see. Luke understood now how Ren was positioning himself to gain the Padawan's allegiance. They were not technically knights yet, but Ren's reference of them as Jedi knights was intended to flatter the young Padawans.

"Do you deny it before all of us?" Luke asked.

"Why would you accuse me?"

"Do you deny it?" Luke asked again.

"I have known the dark side, yes."

The Padawans began to mumble to themselves.

"And now?" Luke pushed.

"It is as you say," Ren said, "But only for balance. Please don't misunderstand."

Then in a low voice that only Luke could hear, "Don't misunderstand, but your Padawans are mine."

Luke lit his pale green lightsaber and stood before him; a green knight, immovable and stern offering a warning. "You will leave."

In a low voice again so that only Luke could hear, "I will never leave, not until I have finished you." He was trying to bait Luke into an attack.

Then raising his voice, "Luke, you must understand. I am your friend and devoted to the light."

"Leave now! You will not deceive me or my students anymore!"

"Too late for that, friend. Even now, some are tempted to the dark side; and they will fall," he whispered.

Luke was reminded of his final fight with his father and how Vader threatened to corrupt Leia, Luke's sister. Luke could sense the pure hatred in Ren for the first time. Ren was not hiding it from him anymore. With that, Luke attacked; fueled by a noble cause but anger in his eyes. To the Padawans, it appeared unprovoked.

Ren met Luke's lightsaber with his own green lightsaber, the two like-colored blades flared as they ground on each other. He had intentionally not used the red lightsaber still attached to his left hip. Ren blocked multiple attacks, it being obvious to him that Luke was holding back and trying only to subdue him. However, to the Ben and the few Padawans that were with him the night before it looked different.

The students moved back from the fight. The dancing lightsabers became more intense, as the electric clashing resounded in the open glade. Ren was not afraid but was getting flustered. Luke was very careful in the training of his students never to show the full extent of his power. To display power needlessly was not the Jedi way. However, it was also not the Jedi way to attack in anger, and Luke was doing that very thing. As it was, even Ren was not sure of Luke's true strength. This had given Ren false confidence. He had defeated many Jedi in his life, but Luke was no ordinary Jedi.

"You will not destroy my Padawans. You will not draw them to the dark side!" Luke exclaimed.

"Like your father," Ren replied, smirking as he blocked more attacks.

"Luke, please stop! Let me explain!" Ren shouted for the benefit of the watchers.

"Quiet!" Luke attacked again with a violent side swipe then downward blow. Ren raised his lightsaber to block the sideswipe then spun to the side.

Ben stood next to Darren; both were wide-eyed, and open-mouthed at the fight.

"Ben, why won't Luke let him talk?" Darren asked.

Ben did not answer.

"It's not fair," Darren said.

"I don't think Luke will understand," Ben said after some thought.

"I thought the Jedi way was only to use knowledge for defense, not attack," Tanut commented. He was standing on the other side of Ben.

"Luke has to know that Ren saved our lives last night," Darren said. "He can't kill him."

Darren clenched his fists and furrowed his brow.

"Is no one going to stop this?" Darren said loudly.

The group of Padawans stood still and silent, watching their masters fight.

"Well someone has to!" Darren said.

Ben started to put his hand on his shoulder to counsel him to remain calm; but Darren broke from his grasp, ignited his lightsaber and cried out, "Stop!"

He ran toward the combatants. He drew near to the flying lightsabers and intended, either heroically or naively to step in between the two of them.

Ren, seeing him rush in from his right, made sure to swing at Luke in such a way so a missed strike would hit Darren. Ren was always considering, even now, what the aftermath of the fight might be and how he could best exploit it. Luke, sensing the danger for Darren, quickly Force-pushed Darren out of the way and then dodged Ren's strike. Darren flew, like a discarded rag ten feet from the battle.

"That's it!" Luke growled. "This ends now!"

Luke's attacks became more impassioned and violent. Ren's countenance changed from one of confidence to concern, and then to fear. He lit his red lightsaber to get an edge but to no effect. The battle was obviously one-sided.

Ren huffed, "You think defeating me will save your students!"

Luke was past responding to Ren but continued his attacks.

"They are already mine, Luke. You can't win."

Ren made a frenzied attack, attempting to bring his green lightsaber down on top of Luke. Luke side-stepped with a lowered blade, then turned and sharply raised his lightsaber, cutting off Ren's hand. The green lightsaber extinguished and dropped to the ground.

Ren screamed in rage and fell back. Luke aimed his blade at the defeated foe.

"Leave."

Ren stared at Luke in hatred. He looked to the Padawans, most of which seemed to be gathering around Darren. Then in a low voice. "If you kill me now, you will have lost everything. What will your students think? You can't kill me."

With that Ren made one last attack on Luke, his overconfidence in his trap undoing him. He held out his red lightsaber with the circular knuckle guard. Another red blade emerged from the opposite end. Then slowly at first, but with increasing speed, the two opposite red blades spun around the circular knuckle guard, until the blades were spinning so fast that they were just a blur. The hot red blades melted the earth where they swept through the dark rock. Ren stood up, holding out the spinning blades and stepped toward Luke.

Luke stepped back at the sight of the blades moving toward him, then grabbed his own blade with both hands and stabbed them through the spinning blades. Almost instantly the spinning red blades came to a stop. Ren's face showed fearful shock, having never seen anyone do that. However, before he could think much on it, Luke slid his green blade down the red lightsaber blade, cutting through the knuckle guard and then through Ren's other hand; not severing it completely but leaving it to hang by a piece of flesh. The red blades extinguished and the lightsaber fell. Ren's eyes opened wide at the realization of his coming fate. With one quick movement, Luke made an end to him. Ren's lifeless body fell to the ground.

Luke extinguished his blade and replaced it at his side. He knelt before Ren's body and placed a hand on him. He whispered something under his breath, then stood.

When he had turned, he noticed that most of the Padawans were no longer watching him; but they were huddled in a circle facing inward. Luke put his hand to his mouth as a thought occurred to him. He ran toward the group. They parted to make way for him to enter.

"No," Luke said to himself before he had seen it as if his refusal to acknowledge would alter the truth; but he knew what had happened.

Luke came into the center of the circle, there lying on the ground, Sakiah holding his head in her lap, was Darren. He had fallen on his own lightsaber and an open and burnt wound had cut half-way through the left side of his chest. He was dead.


	31. Episode IX: 10 Waking Up

Ben Solo and Maz Kanata found themselves trudging through the underbrush of the humid and dangerous jungle of Ryloth. It was a planet known for its deadly creatures such as gutkurrs, lyleks, and even the jungle rancor, although not native to the planet. The jungle trees were dense and difficult to maneuver as the two of them made slow progress. Ben followed Maz, as Maz seemed surprisingly agile for her age.

"So, you expect to find Yoda here, even though he died over thirty years ago?" Ben questioned Maz.

"Yes, but he will not be the same Yoda that your Uncle Luke had known," Maz responded, as she slipped through a few vines.

"So he is not Yoda then?" Ben questioned. He used his lightsaber to cut up some vegetation to open up a path.

"He has been born anew," Maz said.

"What?" Ben replied with unbelief.

Maz maneuvered through another tight passage of plants. "And why not. Snoke returns at each awakening of the Force. So do we."

"We?" Ben sliced through more vines. "First of all, what do you mean by _we_? Second, Snoke uses the dark side to return. How can we?"

"Not you, but Yoda and I," she replied. "We are one and the same, family members you might say, but more. We are Force-beings, with no beginning and no end, destined to be born and die with each era of the Force. Watch that can-cell."

A two-foot-long red insectoid buzzed out of a tree at Ben, its four wings vibrating so fast that they were invisible. Ben stepped back and sliced it in half with his lightsaber before it could damage him.

"But when we return, we carry with us only our connection with the Force. That is, it has always been that way." Maz pushed a limber branch forward to make her way. "Keep your head," she said as she let go of the branch and passed by.

Ben sliced the rebounding limb.

"As for Snoke, he uses the dark side to steal and prolong life. Yoda and I die and are born over. Snoke has used the dark side to avoid death altogether."

"So you and Yoda are born again and again for thousands of years?" Ben said in unbelief.

"Yes," Maz replied.

They began to work their way up a hill, Ben sometimes having to touch the ground for balance on the slope.

"So you remember everything from thousands of years?" Ben asked.

"No, we forget our previous lives." Maz stopped and turned to Ben. "That is why we must meet with Yoda. That is why you must meet Yoda. You both have forgotten."

"So, when do we find him?" Ben said.

Maz stopped suddenly and held up a finger for Ben to be silent. She listened carefully then looked up at the rising.

"He has already found us," Maz said pointing up the hill.

A giant gutkurr stood before them at the crest, its sharp mandibles snapping, waiting to make a meal of the two strangers; but it stood at bay as if heeled. The gutkurr was one of Ryloth's deadliest creatures, impervious to blaster fire and ravenous for meat. It had been the demise of many that had wandered in the jungle. Two more of the great shelled beasts arrived, flanking Ben and Maz.

On top of the first, sitting cross-legged on the dorsal carapace, was a two-and-a-half-feet tall, green-skinned boy with pointed ears and fine brown hair over the crown of his head. He had none of the wrinkles of his former self but was smooth and limber.

He lept off the top of the great gutkurr and landed gingerly on his feet; then he turned to the giant insectoid and mumbled some unintelligible clicks and vocalizations. The gutkurr clicked in response and then retreated a few steps to stand sentinel. It appeared to produce some sort of secretion from its mouth as if ready to eat.

The young being turned to study the two strangers. He squinted his eyes and touched his chin. "Twi'leks, you are not," he said. "This deep in the jungle, strange for you to be."

"We are looking for a Jedi Master who had once been called Yoda," Maz replied.

The boy looked confused. "This Yoda, I know not."

He thought a moment. "Jedi Master?" Then laughed and began to climb a tree out of sight.

Ben shot a glance at Maz with an open-handed gesture to imply, "What do we do?"

"Wait, Ben," Maz said.

A moment later the youngling landed softly in front of them.

"South of here, the lyleks are. Some time, we have. But not much," he said.

The gutkurrs drew in closer, snapping their jaws.

Ben held up his yellow lightsaber to defend.

The youngling leapt in front of him holding up a branch he had broken off a tree in defense. "No! None of that!" he commanded.

Ben did not stand down. "Your bugs are not behaving themselves."

"Behaving, they are. Dead, you would be if not. Away with your weapon!"

Ben extinguished his lightsaber. "I'm putting it away, but not because I think your stick much of a threat."

Before finishing his last word, he felt a sharp and sudden pain on the right side of his face. The youngling had leapt over him and struck him on the head with the stick. Then landing behind him stabbed at the bend in his knee. Ben buckled and fell the ground. The youngling jumped on his back and whipped his side.

"Ow!" Ben called out. "What is with you two!"

Maz laughed silently.

"Deception, there is in you!" the youngling said. He whipped him again on the head.

Ben became angry, threw him off his back, rose, and produced his lightsaber anew. The meat-eager gutkurrs drew in closer again, snapping their shiny brown mandibles. The youngling landed on his feet and faced Ben.

"Easy for you to beat on a man that has been battered by a rancor!"

"Easy, it should be for you to beat on a small one," the youngling said.

Ben became angry and sharply looked at Maz. "This is useless. Did you bring me here to ridicule me? This Yoda doesn't even know who he is."

The youngling laughed. "Know myself, I do. But yourself, you do not know."

Ben sighed in exasperation. "How is this thing supposed to teach me of the Force? I doubt he even knows what that is."

"The Force?" the youngling replied. "Interesting, this sounds."

"See what I mean!" he said to Maz as he pointed to the youngling.

Maz adjusted her eyepiece and looked closely at the youngling. "Be patient, Ben."

"This is crazy!" Ben said in desperation.

"Crazy, you call your quest?" the youngling interjected. "Lost your way, you have. Searching for a ghost, you are."

Ben looked at the youngling with surprise. "What did you say? How do you know—"

"Searching for a ghost, you are," the youngling said. "This Yoda, you seek. Not here, he is. But a Force, you seek as well. Know anything of this, I do not. Help you, I cannot. Desire to help, I do not. Even if I could."

The youngling turned to get back on his gutkurr.

"Go, you both must before the lyleks return. Smell you, they will."

The youngling without much thought raised his hand and cleared a great ten-foot log out of the way. He placed it gently beyond a tree as it levitated and came to rest.

"A mess of this place, the lyleks make," he said under his breath.

"You do know the Force!" Ben exclaimed.

The youngling looked back before mounting. "That?" he asked. "The Force, you call that?"

Maz stepped forward and came within arm's length of him.

"You must help us, Yoda," she said. "This man needs your help."

"The Force, you say it is. The man, he has the other side of this Force. Feel it, I do. Help you, I will not. Lost, he is."

Maz looked down at the ground in thought. The youngling turned to leave.

"Wait," Maz said. "Look at me."

The youngling as if disinterested turned back to look at her face.

"Do you not remember me?"

The youngling studied her face. He raised an eyebrow as if remembering something, then lowered it as the memory evaporated.

"I have changed much," Maz said. "Look deeper."

The youngling tried again for a moment, then resigned with bored capitulation.

Maz grabbed his face before he could turn away. "Wait. Look." She closed her eyes, "I may not be able to use the Force now. But there still is one thing I have left that I can do. Let my Force flow through you, my friend. Learn what you have unlearned."

A dull green light began to emanate from her hands. The youngling's eyes widened and his pupils dilated. He struggled weakly to free himself, but Maz held him tight. The glow began to grow; and the youngling's eyes brightened with the green light, not dull any longer. The intensity grew to the point that Ben had to cover his eyes, the light becoming a brighter yellow. Yet it was only for a moment. Quickly, the light disappeared, and the youngling crouched on the floor panting. Maz put her tender arm over his shoulders and helped to raise him up.

Once he had caught his breath, Maz made sure he would look at her. "You," he said in confusion. "Your face . . ." He stumbled like a man waking from sleep. "Your face, I know." He could not take his gaze from her, absorbing every detail. "How?" the youngling asked.

Maz smiled and drew near to him. She placed her hand on his shoulder gently. "I have picked up a new trick since last we knew each other, Friend."

"Old, you have become," Yoda said.

"I look a whole lot better than you did when you were my age," Maz laughed.

Yoda smiled. "Maz? Yes, your name, that was."

He turned to Ben. "But him? Why are you with him?"

"He is Anakin Skywalker's grandson," Maz answered.

At that Yoda's ears rose. He narrowed his gaze on Ben. Ben shifted his stance, realizing he was being scrutinized.

"Blinded him, the dark side has," Yoda said. "Much evil, he has done." Ben looked to the ground and rubbed the back of his neck. Yoda saw his sheepish reaction. "But hope, there is. Follow me, you must." He leapt high into the air to mount his gutkurr. "Hurry, you must. Too long, we have been here."

….

Finn panted, trying to catch his breath. Blood dripped from his mouth, ears, and forehead. A six-armed, torture droid hovered above his semi-reclined restraining table, its arms retracted at the moment as it lingered over its unyielding patient. An officer stood before Finn, administering the questioning. The officer's face was calm, but the corners of his lips showed his veiled amusement. He nodded to the droid, which lowered two arms to Finn's temples. Needle-like fingers at the tips slowly inserted at each temple. Finn tried to struggle for a moment. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," the officer said. "This procedure has a way for permanently damaging the patient-that is, if you don't remain completely still."

The officer smiled. "Now tell me. The same question. Where is the Resistance base? And be careful to remain still . . . for your sake I am concerned."

Finn remained silent and adamant.

"Very well," the officer pointed to the droid.

Two stormtroopers stood sentinel outside the torture cell. Screaming could be heard from inside the door, screams that progressively became quieter, not because the torture lessened, but because Finn's voice grew more and more hoarse. It was loud enough, however, that other First Order personnel would slow down in interest as they passed the door; but their walks returned to normal as the dark shadow of Darth Irata appeared around a corner.

Rey walked with purpose to the cell door. Her steps were not heavy but still produced a threatening echo in the cold hall. The stormtroopers straightened their posture and stood taller at her approach.

She did not look directly at them but barked the order, "Open the door."

They complied as quickly as they could. The door opened with a slicing noise and Rey entered. The officer's smug amusement vanished promptly upon seeing her and was replaced with a trembling lower lip. "Lady Irata," he stammered. "We are making progress."

"Did he speak?" she questioned.

"Well, no, Lady Irata," he admitted. "But I am getting close."

She smiled cryptically. "Good. Let me try."

He gave the signal for the droid to remove the needled arms. Rey waited until they were completely withdrawn. Once removed, her black-bladed lightsaber staff ignited and cut down the officer, slashed through before he even knew to defend himself.

"Guards!" she called out.

The stormtroopers ran into the room, their blasters in hand, but their constitutions were not ready for Rey. Her attack surprised them, the lightsaber staff dancing toward them, as they fired to no effect. In a flash, their heads hit the ground, with their smoking blasters and bodies a fraction of a second later.

She ran to Finn's side and unbuckled the restraints. He was surprised as well.

"What . . ." he struggled to say.

"I'm getting you out of here," Rey said. "Can you walk?"

Finn nodded and stumbled from the table. He took a few weak steps but could manage.

"That's good enough," Rey said and grabbed his hand. "Come on."

They rushed out the door and into the hall. She slowed them down as personnel and troopers walked by, holding Finn by the upper arm as if he was her prisoner.

"Around this corner is a transport to the loading bay," she said in a low and unemotional voice. She made him turn the corner. He stumbled but stayed upright.

The transport door was closed, and they had to wait a minute before it arrived. Rey waited confidently. Finn shuffled his feet in anxiety. Anyone passing by seemed to hurry their steps to move past Rey as swiftly as possible,

"Seems your reputation is helping us," Finn commented.

"Quiet," was all she said in return.

The transport door opened, and a few technicians exited. They saw Rey and then bumped into each other as they tried to return to the transport.

"No," Rey ordered. "Get out."

The technicians sidled out as best they could and disappeared around a corner.

Rey and Finn entered and the door shut. They were both able to relax for a moment.

Finn turned to Rey. "What is going on?"

"I'm rescuing you," Rey said staring straight forward.

"Yeah, that's what I mean," Finn replied, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "Why?"

"Does it matter?" she retorted.

"Yes. Yes, it does," Finn said contentiously. "I save your life. You do that dark side walk all in my head." Finn waved his arms as he said this. "Then send in that Mr. Needles and his pet droid—and look at me!"

Rey reluctantly focused on Finn.

"Look at me!" he demanded again. He was angry. His face was beaten, blood dried on his face, and fresh blood dripping from the needle holes in his temple. "This is what you have done! And now you are rescuing me? Forgive me if I need to know why."

Rey appeared shaken and did not want to look directly into Finn's eyes. Her confidence wavered. "I . . . I . . ." she stuttered but stood tall as her confidence returned. "Snoke told me about my parents. He told me about my father and what he did."

Finn stepped closer, a little too close.

Rey continued, but she would not look at Finn. "He had done things, in order to do what he thought he needed to do."

Finn angled to get Rey's eyes. "Look at me."

She raised her eyes to his. "My father caused great suffering."

"There's more," Finn replied.

Her voice quivered and her eyes wandered way again. "I will not be like him."

"Some of that may be true," Finn replied. "But I don't need the Force to know you are lying to me."

A flash of anger passed over Rey's face, then subsided. "What?"

"Look at the suffering you have done to me. This is the cost . . ."

Rey really looked at him for the first time. She saw through the physical pain shown by the cuts and bruises. She saw the deeper pain.

Finn appeared as if he would fall to the ground, but he managed to stand still. "This is the cost of loving you."

The words hung heavy in the air and settled down on Rey. It was too much for her, as the reality she knew to be true became undeniably evident before her. Her constitution failed, and her veneer of confidence melted away. He closed the gap between them. She then drew close and kissed him. The kiss was soft but painful, their faces mixed with joy and fear, not wanting to let go, but fearing to continue. The did not know where this path would lead.

Their internal conflict was settled, however, as the transport was suddenly jerked to a stop and their embrace broke abruptly.

"What was that!" Finn exclaimed as he was shocked back to reality.

Rey darted her gaze around the transport. "We're not there yet. They must have stopped us."

She lit her lightsaber staff and began to cut a hole through the door.

"How far away from the loading bay are we?" Finn asked.

"Not far. That's not the problem," Rey informed. The transport shook again, the metal whining. Finn fell over.

"What was that?" Finn asked again as he tried to get up.

"The problem," Rey answered, fear on her face. "Snoke."


	32. Episode IX: 11 The Dark Side Reborn

Ben, Sakiah, Jax, and Tanut stood around an orange fire in the woods of Kaller. Almost a year had passed since Ren and Darren had died. It was just before dawn, and a fire lit their dark faces. Each was clad in body armor—armor they were wearing for the first time this night. Their helmets rested at their feet.

Ben stood up and addressed the others. "You know, this is the place Ren saved us from the bounty hunters a year ago," Ben started. "A fitting place for us to restore the balance that Skywalker had broken when he killed Ren and Darren. Since then, he has shown his guilt. You all know, how he has removed himself most of the time, seeking longer and more frequent retreats to who-knows-where. Are these not the behaviors of a man that knows his guilt?"

Ben walked back-and-forth a few steps with quick and angry strides. "We have given the rest of the Padawans ample time to come to our side, but none other than ourselves have seen the truth. Instead, they decided to support their guilty master. For that, they deserve to be wiped away with him."A flash of red passed over Ben's eyes as he said this. "This is what Darth Vader began. This is what we will finish."

As he said this three other figures exited from the dark forest. A tall dark man with an electro-staff; a beautiful dark-haired woman, whose purple eyes lit brightly even in the firelight; and a broad-shouldered man with a dirty complexion emerged.

"Who are they," Jax asked.

"These were friends of Ren," Ben said. "They were trusted by him and so are trusted by me. They will be useful to do what is needed."

Ben held out his lightsaber and ignited the green light. Jax, Sakiah, and Tanut did the same, lighting their blue and green lightsabers.

"This ends an era of our lives," Ben said. "Let us take control of our destiny."

There was a flash of lightning and a crack of thunder. He extinguished his blade. The others did as well. They tossed the lightsaber hilts into the fire. Each picked up their helmets. Ben donned his black helmet with the silver lined face mask. Jax, having obtained green Mandalorian armor and jetpack through the black market of Plateau City, fitted himself with the Mandalorian helmet. Tanut had a hooded helmet, and Sakiah a lean faceplate. Lura, Gabo, and Kiam put on theirs as well.

With that Ben, Tanut, Sakiah, and Jax then produced new blades. Jax and Tanut's were silver-handled lightsabers. Sakiah's was a baton-like lightsaber, and Ben's was a cross-bar blade. Red blades emerged from each, which they raised above the fire and touched each other. Lura, Gabo, and Kiam stood behind them. Rain began to fall.

"We start a new era. You all are no longer Jedi Knights but are Knights of Ren. Ben Solo is dead. Kylo Ren is born. Now let us go this night, and finish what Darth Vader started."

….

"Balance. Balance to the Force," Ben said to the seated Yoda and Maz. They were sitting high in a tree on a platform made from living vines and vegetation. Boughs of the tree and vines were woven together into a small hut-like structure at one end, their leaves overlapping in such a way as to be water resistant. A small pad of rocks was in between them, with a meager fire on it. Over the fire was a hanging pot of boiling water.

"You asked me what my purpose was, and that was it," Ben reiterated. He hung his head. "But I have failed. I have failed to use the dark side, and I cannot return to the light after what I have done. Now I have nothing, and nowhere to go."

"Lie to yourself, you do," Yoda answered. He removed the pot and poured some into a few small cups. "Palo gourd tea?"

Ben and Maz each took a cup.

"Balance, your quest _is_ , and the quest of all descended from Anakin Skywalker," Yoda continued.

"But I cannot achieve balance," Ben said.

"With the dark side, you cannot," Yoda returned. He took a sip and puckered. "Ooo, strong this gourd was."

"Remember the past, you must. Before the dark time." Yoda walked around to him. "Balance, you had within you. Forgotten, you have. The same had I." Yoda looked at Maz. "But two there must be, to return."

He smiled at Maz.

"But I thought I must master both the light and the dark to bring balance and peace," Ben interjected.

"And that has brought you peace, has it? And to the galaxy?" Maz questioned. "Anyway, the truth is you have abandoned trying to seek both the light and the dark long ago in favor of only seeking the dark side. But the light will not surrender you so easily, will it?"

Ben did not answer.

Maz continued. "The dark side always seeks to gain control and power. It must be resisted, not embraced."

"Resist the dark side you must, or master you it will," Yoda added.

Ben tossed the rest of his cup of tea into the fire. The steam hissed and rose into the air, but the fire persisted. "And what does this all matter? There is no purpose to it all. Shouldn't I just disappear into the waste of the galaxy somewhere?"

Yoda returned to his seat, closed his eyes, and remained silent for a few minutes. The silence was uncomfortable, but Ben was afraid to speak. Finally, Yoda spoke as if to the air, "Hope, he has lost. Return, he will not."

A voice answered. "Hadn't I also lost hope? But hadn't I returned?"

"Yes, but a purpose you had. Your grandson, no purpose has he."

Ben's eyes widened. He could hear the voice but saw no one.

"Grandfather!" he cried out darting his gaze around hoping to see a glimpse of him. "I have tried. I have tried! But I cannot do it!" His voice had become suddenly desperate.

"You have tried," the voice replied. "And you have failed like I did for much of my life. But there is still hope. There still is a chance to make things right. You are my grandson, and your destiny is the same as mine. But you have been working against our destiny and not for it."

Ben was quiet and thought before replying.

"I understand," Ben said in a low voice. "But what do I do now?"

"Finish what I have started. That has always been your destiny. Bring balance to the Force."

Ben narrowed his eyes and gazed into the darkness beyond the fire. "You mean Snoke." Then with a second thought said, "That's impossible."

"It is not impossible," Maz said. "We have defeated him before."

Ben looked in astonishment. "You?"

Yoda stood up and moved closer to Maz, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Defeated him we did. But a high cost, there was."

He looked as Maz tenderly. She placed her hand over his and leaned into him.

"But here he is again. What good was your fight?" asked Ben.

"Just because evil returns, does not mean that there is no use in fighting it," Maz said. "Yes, he returns every thousand years with a new form, but every time, someone is called to stand against him."

Ben seemed to think of something at that comment. "Every thousand years, and a new form . . ." he whispered to himself, contemplating an idea.

"So, you beat him before. Why can't you do it again?" Ben then said.

Maz looked sad and lowered her head.

"They can't," Anakin's voice said. "They have paid a great price for fighting him, one that will last through the millennia-and you, too, may pay a great price for fighting the dark side. It has always been that way. Whoever stands up against the greatest evil will suffer loss."

"If you told me that a few weeks ago, I might have been happier with that idea." Ben looked at Maz.

"So, I just go to Coruscant and fight him," Ben stated as if it was an easy quest.

"No," Maz said, "you cannot do it alone."

"Two of like kinds, there must always be," Yoda said.

With that Ben looked at Maz and Yoda standing by each other. Behind them he could see a glowing shadow that seemed to become brighter, his grandfather, Anakin Skywalker; but he was not alone. Next to him, shoulder to shoulder was Luke Skywalker. Then out of the shadow, two more figures appeared that he did not recognize, but he somehow knew their names, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Beyond them in the shadows a man Kiffar with a yellow band over his nose and a woman with short hair, and then even more pairs emerged, two at a time.

Ben stared with a sober face.

"I understand," he said. Hope returned to him. "I know who I must find."

….

Rey completed carving a hole in the transport door. It fell away before them as a few drips of molten metal dropped.

"Snoke!" Finn exclaimed. "He's here?"

She stepped through the hot metal hole. "Yes, he arrived yesterday. Careful when you step through."

He managed to move through. They stepped out from the side into a long hall. The corridor shook again and the metal warped.

"We need to hurry!" she said back to him and pointed down the hall.

"I'll try," Finn responded and began to walk with as fast a gait as possible, but he could not run. Rey put his arm across her shoulder and helped him quicken his pace down the hall. Behind them, forty yards away, four stormtroopers emerged and began firing. Rey moved Finn on faster; but the corridor shook again, and they lost their footing. The stormtroopers behind them gained.

"They are going to catch us," Finn said. "They aren't carrying someone like you are."

"I'll fix that," Rey said as she got up and left Finn on the ground. She blocked a few blasts with her lightsaber and then held out her hand with clenched fingers. The stormtroopers stopped and cried out. She then closed her hand into a fist. The legs of the stormtroopers broke, and each of them fell to the ground screaming.

"That should do it," she said.

However, beyond them, an image walked around the corner, hooded and dark.

Rey looked at Finn. "We need to go, now."

She helped him up and rushed forward. The ground began to shake so violently it became difficult to manage, but they were not far from the loading bay. The floor began breaking at the opening to the loading bay and lifting up as if to close the opening.

Rey and Finn dove for the opening as it closed behind them. Finn rolled over and held his head.

"Come on," Rey ordered and got up quickly.

Finn did not complain; he just tried to make his body rise up.

"That's my ship, the _Vigilance,_ " she pointed to a pursuit craft with dorsal wing stabilizers and two rotating engines. The front faced them, and the entry ramp was already lowered in the rear.

Rey again helped Finn to move and they hurried to board the ship. They hobbled up the ramp and took their seats in the cockpit. In front of them the metal from the loading bay door bent outward to open, and the dark figure stepped through with ease.

Rey rushed to start the engines and close the ramp. She handled the control arms, and the ship began to lift off the ground. She angled the engines in reverse and moved back toward the docking bay port. It was not far behind them on the floor, but as they approached the ship began to slow and then stop in mid-air.

Rey punched the engines until they were at full power but could not budge the ship.

"What is that?" Finn asked. "They can't have a tractor beam inside the ship."

Then he looked ahead of him at the dark cloaked man approaching, his hand held out toward the ship.

"Quick take the controls," Rey said.

"What?" Finn returned. "I can't fly a ship. I don't know how."

"Here." She put his hands on the controls and gave him a quick instruction. "Up, down, left, right. Forward and backward. Aim us toward space, then hit the hyperdrive."

"Where's that?"

She huffed and pointed to the hyperdrive controls.

"You aren't going to like what I'm going to do, but just keep flying, whatever you do."

"I don't like much of what you do, but okay."

The ship jolted and started to move toward the dark figure.

Rey closed her eyes and raised her hand toward Snoke. The ship began to give slightly from his grasp but continued to move toward him.

She opened her eyes, now red and yellow in the rage of the dark side. The ship jerked in reverse then stopped. Anger grew on her face and she raised her other hand toward the cockpit window. Snoke began to walk toward them. Rey shouted out loud with a guttural scream. She withdrew her hands back and then pushed forward again. Her hair began to rise, and small electric sparks arced between her fingers. Snoke's hold on the ship was loosening.

Finn was able to move the ship some and tried to reverse, but the pursuit craft lilted to the side and hit the side of the loading bay with a crash. Rey shot an angry glance at Finn. "Okay, Okay, I know!" he replied and angled the ship back over the opening of the loading dock beneath them. He struggled but was able to angle the ship downward to face open space.

The ship jolted to the port and then to starboard as Rey and Snoke tugged at it. The ship swept over the spaceport as Rey pulled it. Finn went to hit the hyperdrive, but Snoke dragged it back over the floor before Finn could punch it. Finn restrained and wait for the next opportunity and would try again to fly back over the open port only to get shifted off again. He could barely keep the ship aimed downward, let alone stable, with one hand on the control arm and the other hand poised over the hyperdrive controls.

Stormtroopers filed in and began to fire on the ship with blaster cannons.

"Shields?" Finn called out.

Rey just yelled out, "Go!"

The ship angled over the port again. A blaster fire knocked it to the other side. Finn held his hand ready to hit the hyperdrive. With a sudden shock, the pursuit craft was whipped back by Snoke.

Finn slammed the controls and the ship's hyperdrive engines erupted in blue plasma energy. The ship disappeared into light speed.

Finn settled back into his chair and breathed deeply for a moment with his eyes closed in relief. Suddenly he was lifted out of his seat and slammed against the rear control wall, Rey's hands clasped around his neck, and her eyes blazed with the red fury of the dark side.

"Rey," he coughed. "What are you doing!"

There was nothing but anger on her face for a moment. Then looking at him, her red eyes lessened, and she released him slowly. Her shoulders fell, and she softened a little. A look of horror came over her. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," she said. She touched his neck and the back of his head. I didn't mean to—I can't control it. Please forgive me. Are you all right?" she spoke rapidly.

"I'm starting to think you are womp rat crazy," Finn said rubbing the back of his head. "But I'm fine."

"Thank the stars," she said in a huff and hugged him. After a moment's embrace, she returned to serious thoughts again.

"We need to get as far away from Snoke as possible. Where should we go?" Rey asked.

"Nowhere in this ship," Finn said. "The First Order likely has it tracked."

Rey looked concerned.

"We are close to Nar Shaddaa. We can swap the ship out there, and then we will need to contact the General."


	33. Episode IX: 12 An Unexpected Party

Chapter 9

Finn and Rey had traded the pursuit craft for a small freighter ship not worth a third of the value of the trade, but sufficient for one hyperdrive trip to the Monsua Nebula—an immense pink cloud nebula of the Moddell sector of the Outer Rim. It was known for its dangerous electrical storms, but much less known for a medium-sized unnamed planet within it. Finn and Rey headed for this planet.

There were electrical buoy rods hovering in a line through the storm nebula which attracted lightning in order to create a safe path for ships to approach. Two A-Wings flanked them as they descended and hailed them to transmit their security codes. Finn gave his name and codes. That satisfied the A-Wing pilots, which then escorted them to the planet. They passed dozens of star cruisers and destroyer ships hidden not far off the line of buoys. Each ship had its own buoys surrounding it to protect them from the electrical activity in the atmosphere.

Their freighter descended to the planet deep within the nebula and landed on the brightly colored terrain just in front of a series of reinforced tent structures. The Resistance base was stationed on a plain covered in a short, green, and maroon turf with small, feathered trees no higher than a man's shoulder. Temporary shelters were organized throughout the plain, with hundreds of snub fighters and troop transports parked beyond them. Soldiers and Resistance members were bustling among the tents and ships, each with their assigned duties, tens of thousands of men and women loyal to the Resistance.

Finn and Rey landed the freighter and exited, but they were presently met by a squad of Resistance fighters with their blasters aimed at them. Finn raised his hands. "I can't blame you for the security, considering the situation," he said and looked at Rey.

"I apologize, Captain, but our orders are to bring the two of you in for questioning," the Resistance officer said, "and I will need to secure any of your weapons."

"I understand," Finn said, but he had no weapon. He looked to Rey.

Rey appeared offended but relinquished her lightsaber staff to the officer reluctantly.

"Thank you," the officer said. "Now follow me." They were led away under guard.

Finn and Rey were brought to a large tent centrally located within the base and told to wait inside. Guards were stationed inside and outside the tent.

It was not long before General Organa entered, followed by Chewbacca and Admiral Statura. Finn rose quickly to salute them. General Organa saluted and then addressed him. "You have created quite a problem for us by bringing Rey here."

Chewbacca growled and made a step forward. Leia turned and put a hand on his chest. "It's okay, Chewie. I know." Chewbacca settled down but was obviously upset.

"But her presence may give the Resistance an opportunity," she said.

Finn looked confused, but that confusion disappeared when Ben Solo entered. Chewbacca became more agitated.

"I was going to ask what you mean by that, but I assume that it has to do with him," he said, gesturing to Ben Solo. Ben did not reply.

"Why did you bring Rey here?" Leia asked.

Finn stood tall. "She saved me from the First Order and fought Snoke directly in order to do so."

"Do you understand your breach of security by bringing her here?" Admiral Statura asked.

"I do," Finn said unapologetically.

Leia turned to Rey, "Why did you rescue Finn?"

Rey looked at Finn and then at Ben, "I was made aware of my history, how my father killed my mother—to do what he felt was right." She looked at Ben when she said this. "I do not want to serve Snoke in that way any longer."

General Organa looked and Ben, who returned her gaze. There was a nonverbal communication between them that Finn and Rey were not ignorant of. General Organa nodded to Ben. Ben stepped forward and leaned forward at the table between them.

"I arrived about three weeks before the Resistance, knowing this was the next Resistance station." He looked to his mother who had given him that information before he had left to go to Dathomir. "I had planned to seek you out after the Resistance had arrived," he spoke to Rey. She did not appear surprised. "We don't have time to discuss everything the General and Admiral need to go over with you. I don't have time to play games trying to figure out your motivation. I have a mission, and I need you," he said. She still remained silent. Finn shifted a little. "You know what Snoke is. I know you do. You know the power of the dark side like I do. But I know more."

Rey made it obvious with her smirk that she disagreed with the last statement.

"I know how we are to defeat him, completely," Ben said. Her smirk diminished and her eyes widened at the implication.

"You cannot defeat him," Rey said. "He is too powerful; and even if you could, he would only return."

"He does not tell you everything, Rey," Ben stated.

"What are you thinking?" Rey asked. "I've fought you before, and let me tell you, it wasn't impressive. What do you plan on doing—just going to run up to him swinging your new lightsaber?" She had noticed his weapon.

"No," Ben stated, "we need to break into the Sith Temple." That silenced Rey. "You know what is down there," Ben said.

Rey looked down and thought deeply. She finally muttered, "The creature that sleeps in the pool."

"Yes," Ben said, "it is a being of the dark side. Once every thousand years that creature reproduces."

Rey was thoughtful. "And every thousand years, Snoke returns," she said, understanding the connection.

Everyone was silent for a moment at the implication.

"They are of the same kind. I have felt that between them," Rey said.

"I have, too," Ben agreed.

"That is why you need me," Rey said.

"Snoke cannot be defeated by any one person. I—I fear his power will be too much. Between him and the Sleeper, I can't do it alone. If you truly have left him, I must believe that this is something you need to do as well."

Rey looked around the room and thought for a long time. I glint of hope appeared on her face, but she quickly concealed it. "I suppose, I can't stay here anyway."

"That is true," Admiral Statura commented with a cold insistence.

"Then, I'm going too," Finn jumped in.

Ben looked coldly at Finn. "No, you are not. You will be a liability, and I will not babysit you."

"Yes, he is going," General Organa said.

Ben shot a glance at her in surprise. Leia's motherly stubbornness shot back at him.

"Breaking into the Sith Temple is one thing. You and Rey may be able to do that," Leia said. "But how do you suppose you will get onto Coruscant and approach the temple. The Sith Temple is under the old Jedi Council, where the First Order Palace is now located. You will need to be supported with at least two squads of soldiers, and a captain: Captain Finn. I will release our best pilot, with our most reliable First Order clearance codes to get you to the surface. I will not send you without giving you the best that I have to give. There is no discussion on that."

Ben did not argue. He turned to Rey and Finn, "Then, is it agreed?"

"Do I have a choice?" Rey asked, knowing that she did. Ben did not say anything. Rey studied his face. She smiled half-heartedly and said, "I agree." Finn consented as well.

With that, Admiral Statura turned to the guards. "Please escort Finn and Rey to their temporary quarters. Forgive the security, Captain Finn, but you will need to be under guard. Your weapon will be returned to you when you leave shortly, Rey."

Rey and Finn were then escorted out, leaving Ben with the others.

Ben turned to Leia. "I don't trust her," he said. "She is lying to us."

"I sense it too. She is strong in the dark side," his mother replied. "I can't advise you to go through with this."

"Whether I trust her or not, I have no choice. I need her," he replied.

"This is too much of a risk, Ben. She has the dark side and is unpredictable."

"So am I," Ben said, "That is why I need her."

"I fear for your life," Leia replied. "I don't want to lose you again."

"You have lost me once, and I know you think you have me back now. But you don't. Don't you see? I am on the edge of a knife. I need to do this, mother." Ben hung his head. He had murdered his father, Han Solo, in order to prove himself to Snoke. "About Father . . ." he began.

"Enough, Ben," she stopped him. Her demeanor was hard when she said this. "Just don't add to the pain now, Ben. I just want to give you the best chance possible. However, this plan... "

"Mother," Ben put his hand on her shoulder. "I have to do this. I've followed the wrong destiny for so long. This is my chance to do it right."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Leia said. She put her hand on his.

Admiral Statura stood by, unemotional and observant. Chewbacca was still agitated. "General Organa, there are other matters we need to attend to," Statura stated.

Leia nodded. "Yes, Admiral. Ben, for now, you have to go. We'll discuss further preparations later."

Ben nodded to both of them and left the tent. The admiral turned to Leia once they were alone. "We have been compromised, and we must assume that our location here is no longer a secret."

"I agree," Leia said.

"I can see that Finn trusts Rey and that you trust your son. But I don't trust either of them. So neither of them can know our plans." Chewbacca growled in agreement with Statura. Leia contemplated this.

"What are you thinking?" Leia asked.

Statura continued, "Their presence here changes the timeline of our assault."

"You mean our assault on Coruscant. If Ben succeeds, we may not need to make an assault," Leia replied hopefully.

"And if he doesn't the First Order will likely discover our location, and possibly our plans. If they don't know them already."

"We can afford to see what Ben's mission accomplishes first," Leia replied.

"I don't like saying this, General; but it is highly probable that everyone you send with Ben will be killed," Statura stated.

"I know," Leia said with somber reflection.

"So what are your orders?" Statura replied.

Leia closed her eyes and thought, but finally nodded reluctantly. "How soon can we mobilize everyone?" Leia asked.


	34. Episode IX: 13 Two Battles of One Man

Chapter 10

The rain fell heavily on the open glade of Kaller. It was still dark and would be another few hours before the sun would rise, although no one would see it beyond the portentous rain clouds. Multiple small mud huts were erected beside each other, each able to house two of Luke's students. Large raindrops drummed on the huts and ground, muffling any sound of approachers. Small rivers formed between the huts as the water rolled down their roofs and then down the gently angled slope of the glade.

Ben Solo led his six followers, the Knights of Ren, to the sleeping Jedi Padawans. The rain continued to hide their heavy feet. "Start with those huts," Kylo Ren ordered. "They are the most advanced in the Force. Kill them while they sleep."

Gabo, Kiam, Tanut, and Jax entered into a separate hut each. The doorways flashed red with their lightsabers after Tanut and Jax had entered. A blue electric light and electric crackling came from the other two. Chilling screams arose from within and a young teenaged Iktotchi, his horns not full grown, came running out of the hut Gabo had entered. He yelled to wake the others and lit his lightsaber. Gabo pursued him out of the hut but there was no need. Lura had shot the boy through the head, her blaster muzzle hot from the blast.

The rest of the huts emptied as the Jedi Padawans rushed out. Eight were left, aging from fifteen to twenty standard years. They looked in shock at the approaching masked fighters, their lightsabers ignited to defend.

Lura fired into them. A Togruta girl fell under her fire, her body writhing in the mud. Another Padawan effectively deflected her blasts. Sakiah ran up to this Padawan, ignited her double blade baton and attacked. He blocked the first high blow but was not quick enough to parry the opposite blade of the baton which cut through his leg. He fell, and Sakiah slashed through his torso, without a thought that she had once been friends with that Padawan.

Jax, a lightsaber in one hand and a blaster in the other, ignited his jetpack and flew above the Padawans that were now assembling in one place to defend. He coolly fired down on them, hitting one and killing him. Then he dropped behind them and attacked with broad swings of his lightsaber. The other Knights of Ren closed in around them.

"We need to get out of here," one of the oldest students said—a Kyuzo. He took off his heavy disc helmet and threw it at Kylo Ren.

Kylo Ren was caught off guard as the helmet hit him in the facemask, knocking him back and creating a small dent. He staggered a moment, stunned.

"There, follow me!" the Kyuzo said as he ran toward the stunned Kylo Ren. The four other Padawans attempted to follow. They deflected Lura's and Jax's blaster fire, but one in the rear fell as Tanut readily sliced him through the back.

Jax fired up his jetpack again to fly over them and cut their escape off. The Kyuzo, having picked up his helmet as he passed Kylo Ren, threw it up at Jax. His aim was good, and the impact knocked Jax out of the air. He spiraled out of control to the wet ground. The helmet returned to the Kyuzo as he pulled it to him with the Force.

"We just need to get to the woods for cover!" the Kyuzo called out, but only a few of the remaining Padawans could hear him. Gabo had bludgeoned one of them into the ground, and Kiam finished another off with his electro-staff. Only one human female remained following the Kyuzo.

"We're almost to the woods, hurry!" He looked back to spur them on, observing the last Padawan shot through the back with multiple blaster shots from Lura. He saw for a moment the dead bodies of all his friends scattered over the ground, the unknown attackers only a few yards away, and the dark leader approaching, wielding a red cross-barred lightsaber. He turned to run the short distance to the woods, but Kylo Ren was on him. The red lightsaber erupted out of his chest, Kylo Ren having stabbed him through the back. The Kyuzo cried out and fell over to the ground and sank in the mud.

Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren stood over their victims, victorious and satisfied as the rain washed the blood away in rivers on their first battlefield.

….

"I have to say, I'm not really happy about this assignment," Poe said as he looked back from the cockpit into the personnel bay of the Shuttle, addressing Finn who was next to him. BB-8 beeped as if to agree. "I think there may be a conflict of interest here," he said and pointed with his chin toward Ben Solo and Rey in the rear of the shuttle. Ben Solo had previously tortured him in the name of the First Order the day that Finn had rescued him. "Even though, he went by the name Kylo Ren back then; and he supposedly is on our side now, I still don't like it," Poe said.

"I know what you mean," Finn said with suspicion in his gaze as well. "This plan doesn't make any sense . . . his plan." Finn sighed. "But we still need to function as a team, or we will all be dead."

"We may be dead no matter what," Poe replied.

Ben rose, leaving Rey and the soldiers in the loading bay. He walked up to the cockpit. The blue light from hyperspace lit his face. BB-8 squealed and rolled out of the room quickly.

"How much longer?" he asked Poe.

"Not long. You'll be home soon," Poe replied curtly making his point clear.

Ben remembered the first time he had met Poe. "Poe, I'm sorry about . . ." Ben said seriously.

"Well," Poe replied, knowing what Ben was referring to. "It's okay. I've gotten over it." It was obvious that Poe was done talking to Ben.

It was quiet again for a moment, then Finn asked, "So what are we doing again? Killing some animal that gives Snoke his power?"

"Not his power," Ben replied. "It provides a body for him. His spirit inhabits its offspring."

"So if we kill it, we kill him?" Finn asked.

"No," Ben said.

"Then what are we doing?" Finn exclaimed.

"Snoke will know when we kill it," Ben said. "Then he will come."

"Then we kill him?" Finn asked.

Ben did not answer. The silence was heavy and uncomfortable.

"Well this is going well," Poe quipped.

The shuttle exited hyperspace and the dark side of Coruscant materialized before them. Dozens of star destroyers orbited close to the surface of the city-planet, hovering with a purpose Finn could only guess at. Electric lights lit the entire surface of the planet in geometric stellate patterns, outlining Coruscant's major throughways with golden light.

"Strange that their star destroyers are orbiting so close to the planet," Poe commented.

Poe's statement was interrupted. A First Order transmission sounded over the HoloNet asking them for their purpose and security codes.

"That was quick," Finn said.

Poe replied to the transmission, "Shuttle 2254, carrying a Gorse emissary. We have been requested to appear at the First Order Palace."

There was no response for an uncomfortable amount of time.

"I have no record of any Gorse emissary," the officer responded. "Send me your clearance codes."

Poe transmitted the codes that Leia had provided. Again there was no response for a while. Finn swallowed hard and waited.

"You are cleared for landing on the palace south platform."

"Thank you," Poe replied. He looked at Finn. "No turning back now."

They descended beneath the patrolling star destroyers and entered the clear Coruscant atmosphere, heading for the First Order palace. The planet was bustling with traffic, but as they approached the palace, the traffic disappeared, except for patrolling TIE fighters. Beneath them on the surface, legions of troops lined up. Near them hundreds of military vehicles were parked; most notably the new line of First Order Walkers.

Troop shuttles were obviously ferrying troops to the star destroyers.

"What is going on here?" Poe asked.

"It looks like they are planning an attack," Finn responded.

As they approached the palace and descended they drew closer to the army. Finn looked carefully at the troops. Their armor and helmets were different from the commissioned stormtrooper outfit.

"This isn't good," Finn said.

"What?" Poe questioned.

"Those look like clone uniforms. See the more angular helmet style. Looks like the Kamino deal went through." Poe took in the implications. "They have a new army and they are mobilizing it," Finn concluded.

They approached the landing platform on the south side of the palace, with reservation and doubt in their thoughts. New control towers stood tall and unyielding having been erected next to each landing platform. First Order Walkers were sitting nearby, waiting to be manned and dispatched to a star destroyer. An officer and four squads of stormtroopers waited on the landing platform to greet Finn's shuttle.

Finn spoke to Poe. "Looks like they don't trust us. After we disembark, I want you to take off and cover us from above. We won't be sneaking in like last time."

"Yes, Captain," Poe replied. "But you do know I outrank you?" Poe smiled at Finn.

Finn, being focused did not catch the quip and continued to stare out the cockpit window to assess the plan of action.

Poe hovered over the platform. However, before he had a chance to land, his controls became rigid; and the ship was brought down to the platform without Poe controlling it.

"They have a platform tractor beam," Poe said. "So much for my covering you from above. I won't be able to take off."

Finn thought quick. "Ok, get in the back, I'll need to talk fast."

Poe and Finn entered the passenger quarters with Ben, Rey, the eight soldiers, and BB-8.

"I only have a few seconds to talk. So listen hard. It looks like we have sixteen stormtroopers out there, an officer and two palace guards at the entry point to the palace. Ben and Rey, you do what you do to protect us from the blaster fire. The rest of us will hit them hard and fast. We all rush the door. We strike first. Watch for reinforcements. BB-8, get that door open." BB-8 whistled in assent.

"Poe, you take Riven and Silas and find high ground. There is a tower nearby. Try that. Cover us when you get there if we haven't gotten through the door yet. Hopefully, we'll be making enough noise to allow you to sneak away to the tower."

"Yes, Captain," the two soldiers replied. Poe just nodded.

"Now is everyone ready?"

"Yes, Captain," they replied.

"Now lower the ramp."

The ramp opened, and the Resistance soldiers promptly opened fire on the stormtroopers. Four of the stormtroopers fell at this first attack. The rest spread out and returned fire.

Rey and Ben began deflecting blaster fire with apt precision, but they could not deflect every blast from twelve stormtroopers. Blaster fire struck one of the soldiers in the arm, causing her to drop her blaster. She clutched her arm and ducked behind Ben. Another soldier took a blaster round to the chest and fell over.

Poe, Riven, and Silas had barely managed to sneak behind shuttle in the fire and rush toward the tower. Ben, Rey, Finn, and the soldiers advanced toward the door. Finn aimed and fired at a nearby trooper on the left, shooting him in the head. There was no time for Rey or Ben to stop deflecting fire in order to Force-push the soldiers or to throw any objects with the Force. They had to rely on the soldier's ability to take out the enemy while they protected them.

The First Order officer ducked behind the door wall and called for help on his transceiver. Another Resistance soldier fell, an open carbonized wound in his chest. Three soldiers were left. They continued to fire from behind Rey and Ben, whose lightsabers were erratically dancing amidst the blaster fire. Both resisted using the dark side to stop the blaster fire.

Two more stormtroopers were killed, one by Finn and the other by one of the soldiers. The remaining five stormtroopers fanned out, two to each side and one in front of the door with the palace guards and officer. The lead stormtrooper fired on Rey. She deflected the shot back at him and hit him in the gut. He fell over in a slump and grabbed his abdomen. She then moved to the left side to deal with the two on the left, an easy fight for her as she held out both her hands and Force-pushed them off the walkway. They fell twenty feet, injuring them but leaving them alive.

Finn and the three remaining uninjured soldiers focused all of their fire on the two stormtroopers on their right. A few shots from the soldiers eliminated the stormtroopers.

Ben rushed the palace guards, which each produced an electro-staff. Ben swung a lateral attack on one, which defended his attack and counter-attacked with the opposite edge of the electro-staff. Ben jumped back to avoid the swing, but the second guard behind him had attempted a downward blow. Ben sensed the danger from behind and blocked overhead. Twisting around, he pressed the electro-staff to the side and lunged at the second guard with both fists on his lightsaber. The thrust hit its mark and impaled the second guard. The guard stepped back, staggered, and fell.

The first palace guard took advantage of the opening and jabbed the electro-staff toward Ben's side. It never made contact. Ben, having ignited the blue lightsaber, spun and cut down the guard with the whirling azure blade.

Ben extinguished his blades and replaced them at his sides. He walked up to the officer who had backed up to the door. Ben grabbed him by the collar and leaned in on him with heavy resolve. The others soon joined him by the closed door, and BB-8 worked frantically at the droid access port to open the door.

"It's too late for you," the officer said. "Reinforcements are on the way. They'll be here any second."

Finn looked behind and could see a clone transport being diverted to the landing platform and a First Order Walker was arriving from the left.

The First Order Walkers were modified from the previous Imperial AT-AT's to remedy the old model's design flaws. First, there was a ball-turret cannon on the underside of the body, to eliminate any attacks from the side or beneath. However, the greater advancements were with the neck structure and two extra forward arms. The head was closer to the body resulting in a shorter neck that was protected with a fanned head plate that covered the neck with shielded armor. This naturally resulted in less mobility of the head but was compensated for by a larger cockpit window for better visibility. To address the limited range the head cannons now had, two additional arms extended from close to the neck, with ball-jointed shoulders, and equipped with cannons. These arms also doubled as an extra pair of thin legs to stabilize the vehicle in the event that the top-heavy walkers began to tip or had to traverse uneven terrain.

The clone transport landed in front of their shuttle, and the exit ramp descended. Each clone transport could hold twenty clones. All twenty poured out and immediately fired on the Resistance party from thirty yards away. Ben and Rey deflected fire; but as the clones advanced, this became increasingly difficult. The walker moved toward the south door and readied its cannons to fire.

"This doesn't look good," Finn said.

The walker fired its cannons and Rey prepared herself to deflect the blasts, but the explosions engulfed the approaching clones instead. The walker then fired on the transport which exploded at the bottom starboard side. The damaged transport then rolled off the platform and fell top down over the edge.

"Is this high enough ground," a voice came over Finn's transceiver.

"Poe!" Finn responded.

"I've always wanted to drive one of these things," Poe answered.

Finn laughed. "Well, what do you think of it?"

"I hate it!" Poe said.

After the brief banter, Finn returned to thinking about the battle at hand. He turned to BB-8. "How much longer?"

The droid beeped and whistled. Finn checked his wrist display to interpret. "Almost there. Rey and Ben, you know where we are going from this location?"

"Yes, it's not far," Rey replied.

"Okay, everyone, we follow Ben and Rey. Provide cover. When we get in there, we will likely have more guards to deal with. Keep your eyes open."

He looked at the injured soldier, "Sayah, stay close to me."

He raised the transceiver to speak to Poe. "Poe, I want you to destroy this door after we go through. We will find another way out. Just protect our rear for a bit."

"Yes, Captain," Poe replied.

"Then I want you to surrender," Finn said.

"What!" Poe exclaimed.

"No questions. In a few seconds, this place is going to have the whole army and navy coming down on you. You won't survive. At least if we are successful, you may have a chance, but only if you are taken alive."

Poe reluctantly agreed.

"Good," Finn said.

BB-8 opened the door, and they all ran through the door.

The entry foyer was a red stone tiled room with thirty-foot ceilings and two staircases on either side leading up through large archways. Ahead of them was an artificial waterfall which ended in a small pool.

A few guards descended the stairs on either side, but they were shot down with multiple blasts from the Resistance soldiers. Troopers began filing in two abreast through the narrow archways at each side. They were easy targets for the Resistance soldiers. Their cover fire left a pile of troopers rolling lifelessly down the stairways.

"This way," Rey ordered and ran for the waterfall.

Once there, Rey held out her hand and parted the waterfall like a veil. Behind it an onyx stone slab shifted to the side to open up a dark room. They stepped into the ankle-deep pool and passed through the door. Once everyone had entered, the door slammed shut behind them; and they were overtaken by darkness.

Poe's barrage on the entry could be heard in the distance.


	35. Episode IX: 14 The Acolytes of Snoke

Chapter 11

The rain fell in sheets as Kylo Ren and the Knights of Ren looked with satisfaction on the bloody glade, the dead scattered throughout. They waited. Kiam became impatient and shifted his feet as he said aloud, "How long will this take?"

"Not long," Kylo Ren replied. "I feel him coming."

A moment later, Luke came running down a hill from the east, where he had withdrawn for another of his retreats. His shoulders dropped once he had seen the carnage. He ran to one of the dead Padawans and bent over her.

"I knew you would sense this and come," Kylo Ren said from behind his mask.

Luke stood and looked at him with righteous but fatherly displeasure. "What have you done?"

"Only what I needed to get your attention," Kylo Ren said. "Had you been here instead of always running off, they may not have had to die," Kylo Ren said spitefully.

Luke lowered his head. Rain dripped down his face and off his chin. His fist clenched his lightsaber tightly.

"I'm not finished yet," Kylo Ren replied and held up his cross-bladed lightsaber and then advanced toward Luke.

"I know that is you, Ben," Luke said.

"Ben is no longer," Kylo Ren said. "There is now Kylo Ren."

Luke did not appear surprised. "I understand. So you have finished exactly what Ren had started."

"No, what your father had started, and it isn't finished yet."

With that Kylo Ren charged Luke, holding his lightsaber with both fists, ready to swing with all his might.

Luke lit his green saber and deflected the attack, the red and green blades spitting flares of electric sparks as the clashed. It was a powerful blow but Luke managed it. He side-stepped and then back-stepped away. Kylo Ren pressed the attack further, swinging across.

Luke made a vertical block, then stepped into the attack and rammed his shoulder into Kylo Ren's chin. Kylo Ren staggered back, a little stunned from the hit to his jaw, even with his mask.

The Knights of Ren jumped into action when they saw Kylo Ren pitch back. First Lura fired. Luke whipped his blade, wiping the blast away as if it was an insect, then held out his left hand. Lura's rifle flew from her fingers. Luke caught it midshaft and broke it over the head of Kiam who was running toward him in an attack. Kiam bent over from the blow, floundered with his steps, and then fell to the side. Lura, having no weapon, turned to run from the battle.

Tanut, right behind Kiam, swung an angled attack from the upper left toward the right. Luke caught it with his lightsaber and stopped the swing high. He then lightly touched Tanut's chest with his left hand. Tanut was thrown twenty feet into the air and backward, over the head of the fleeing Lura.

Jax fired his Z-6 jetpack and flew thirty feet over Luke in order to fire down. Gabo barrelled toward Luke from the front, holding his right fist high, ready to pound Luke into the ground with his electro-knuckles.

Luke Force-leapt into the air toward Jax. Jax fired. Luke deflected the two shots as he ascended, and grabbed Jax by the collar. Using the Force and the firing jetpack, he spun in the air whipping him back down toward the ground. Jax plummeted down on top of Gabo.

Luke, as he was falling, held both hands downward and pushed with the Force. Rainwater exploded around both of the Knights, and the ground under them sank a foot as if a giant foot of an invisible walker had stepped down. Luke landed beside the shallow crater he had made. Jax and Gabo could be heard moaning over the heavy rain.

Sakiah, with her double-bladed baton, came from behind and tried to take off Luke's head with high attack. Luke ducked and spun. He hooked her forward leg with his foot and pulled it in. She swung her lightsaber down on him as her body fell backward. He blocked, causing her to further lose her footing and fall back. Her lightsaber still lit would have injured her in the fall. Luke could sense it, and as if time slowed for a moment, he reached with the Force and removed her baton from her hand. She collapsed on the wet ground. Luke threw her baton away and aimed his lightsaber at her.

"Run away, Sakiah," he said. She just looked up at him, her fearful face hidden by the mask.

Kiam, now recovered from the blow to the head, charged from Luke's right. Luke turned quickly and met his first strike with his lightsaber. Then he blocked the second swing of the electro-staff. Luke held out his hand, and the electro-staff fizzled out. Kiam still swung, but Luke sliced the unlit ends from the staff and grabbed the back of Kiam's neck. Kiam slammed face-first into the mud, the Force dropping him. Luke held out his hand and pushed him with the Force back into the darkness, dragging him through the mud.

Luke turned back to Sakiah who was still on the ground. He aimed the lightsaber at her again. "Run away, Sakiah," he said. She got up without a word and ran toward the woods.

Kylo Ren watched the fight, which lasted a minute at most. "This is all your fault, you know." Kylo Ren said. Lightning flashed. Luke looked at him. The thunder roared. "They are all dead because of you, and now the only students you have left are your enemies."

Luke's face filled with anger but it was obvious Luke was trying hard to suppress it.

"For what?" Kylo Ren taunted. "Were you trying to save us when you killed Ren and Darren? Or were you just afraid of losing control?"

"I was trying to do the right thing," Luke replied.

"But you were unsure," Kylo Ren replied. "And I think you know now whether it was right. I can sense that in you."

Luke did not want to admit that, and the pain of it angered him. Luke knew the dangers of anger and the path to the dark side, but still, he clenched his lightsaber and ran at Kylo Ren. "No!"

Kylo Ren charged as well, full of hatred and rage. Their lightsabers crashed into each other and sparked into their faces. Luke was more skilled with a lightsaber and pushed Kylo Ren back again. Luke then started into a series of violent and relentless attacks, his blade accurately darting a specific path. Kylo Ren blocked each, but could not put any space between him and Luke as he stepped back.

Luke reached out and with the Force and wrenched the lightsaber from Kylo Ren's hand. Luke kicked Kylo Ren in the midsection. Kylo Ren fell backward over a dead Padawan and splashed into a shallow pool that had formed. Luke crossed the lightsabers around Kylo Ren's neck and stared down at him with an irresolute composure. Kylo Ren did not move a muscle.

"Anger and fear," Kylo Ren said. "You _do_ know it." Luke's face showed the struggle.

"You must kill me, Luke," he said. "I will not stop hunting you. I will never stop. I will finish what your father could not."

Luke furrowed his brow, and his teeth clenched for a moment. Then he closed his eyes and breathed deep. The lightsabers extinguished. Luke threw Kylo Ren's lightsaber into the water.

"You will leave this place," Luke said with a calm and earnest voice.

"What!" Kylo Ren said. "Are you trying a Jedi mind trick on me! I am stronger than that."

"You are deceived, Ben," Luke said. "The dark side has made you strong; but you are also weaker for it, although you are not completely lost. However, I am more powerful than you can now understand." Luke raised his hand toward Kylo Ren and waved it before him. "You will leave this place."

"Stop trying. It's a waste of time."

"You will leave this place."

Kylo Ren's shoulders lifted up. He bent forward and picked up his lightsaber. He stood up before Luke. "I will leave this place." With that, Kylo Ren turned and walked toward the woods.

….

The darkness was pierced by Ben Solo's yellow lightsaber which illuminated a gloomy spherical room with a walkway that led to a center platform. The walls were inky and difficult to see.

"They won't be able to follow us in here," Rey said. "That door only opens with the Force."

"What is this place," the injured soldier, Sayah, asked.

"It is Snoke's meditation chamber," Ben replied. "It is best that we do not delay here."

He appeared uncomfortable but led the way across the walkway to the platform and then beyond toward the door at the opposite end. Using the Force, Ben opened the exit, and everyone walked out single file.

The next room was a massive room, also dark and cold, but filled with small waterfalls and fountains made to look natural. A dull red light from glowing crystals in the roof and walls lit the room. "The Room of a Thousand Fountains," Ben said, noticing that the others would soon ask what this room was. "It supposedly was a greenhouse long ago. Now it is just dead rock. But what we want is at the end. A mountain at the center of the old Jedi Temple."

They weaved their way through the pools and fountains until they came to a huge rock face of the interior mountain, full of interlaced cracks. There appeared to be no obvious entry through it Ben held out his free hand and closed his eyes. He strained, this obviously a more difficult door to open. The rocks at the center moved concentrically outward, filling each gap until each rock was flush with each other and an opening large enough for a human to enter formed.

"We're here," Ben said. "Only Rey and I go in here."

"I'm going," Finn said.

"No, you're not," Ben said. "This is a Sith Temple. Only those with the Force should enter."

"Should," Finn replied. "You said _should_. That settles it. I'm going."

Ben stepped in front of him and stood proudly adamant. "You _cannot_ go in."

Rey angled between them and pushed Ben back with her forearm. "If he doesn't come, neither do I."

Ben appeared upset and studied her face. "Why do you want him to come?"

Rey looked sternly at him and replied, "You don't need to know. You only need to know I won't go without him."

"I know what you have in you," Ben said without anger but as a matter of fact. "I know you have the heart of a traitor, like your father. You may have deceived _him_." He directed a gaze at Finn. "But you have not deceived me."

"I could say something similar about you." She glared directly at him. "But as it is I will not go in without Finn," Rey said. "And you need me."

Ben huffed and turned to enter. Rey nodded at Finn and then followed Ben through the narrow door. Finn turned toward those following him and said, "The four of you and BB-8 wait here. Defend the door if needed. But like I told Poe, if their forces are too great for you, you must surrender. And if Snoke comes . . ." He paused a second to think. "Then run."

The soldiers agreed. Finn turned to follow Rey and Ben.

It was not a deep entrance; and soon after entering the door, they emerged into the great colonnade of the Sith Temple. Giant ten foot diameter columns supported the tall cavern. Its roof seemed to move in the dim light; dark-side creatures crawling and maneuvering over its surface. Scattered throughout there were almost a hundred skeletons, some complete skeletons still clothed in robes, others incomplete. A few had ancient lightsabers still grasped in their bony hands.

They stepped over the bones as they ventured across until they came to the large portcullis of the inner Sith Temple. Here Rey used the Force to open it. The large gate lifted up and slid into a holding groove to remain open. The ground shook as it locked into place, and small pebbles fell from its archway.

"Are there any doors in here that open normally?" Finn asked. Rey smiled at him. The second of levity did not last long as the ground rumbled again. "That wasn't the door, was it?" Finn asked.

"No, it wasn't," said Ben, his apprehension mounting.

Dust began to breathe out of the inner temple. The wind blew Rey's hair back, and Ben took a step back in anticipation. From within it the dark and hooded image of Snoke emerged. Finn immediately lifted his blaster and began firing. A dozen shots rang out, well aimed, but useless. Snoke had held out his hand, and the blaster fire seemed to disappear before any had injured him. The blaster then flew out of Finn's hand, and Snoke caught it. He glanced at each of them with cool shrewdness. The blaster seemed to incinerate in his hands and disappear. "I have been waiting for you," he stated. Finn, Rey, and Ben said nothing. Ben fingered his lightsabers. "Did you suppose you would have some heroic battle? Good versus evil?" Snoke hissed. "That I might fight you, and you would prevail or die as heroes?" Snoke's narrow eyes pierced through Ben. "How fitting it is that all of you that come to stand against me are all traitors yourselves. You have all learned one of my commands."

"It was you that betrayed me first," Ben spoke up, referring to the moment that Snoke had ordered Rey to kill him. It was that battle in which Rey had defeated Ben and his knights, killed Luke Skywalker, and joined the dark side.

"Did I not tell you the last time we were here, that when you exited this temple you would either be my loyal subject or my enemy? Do you think I was so blind to know what was in you? I had warned you what I was, and still, you defied me."

Snoke's stare moved from Ben to Rey. "But it is no matter. You will die. All of the galaxy. For to me, none survive. Not to an immortal. Your lives are like a mist that fades."

He then studied Finn. "In fact, you are not even aware of what your own Resistance is planning, so small are you. How even now the Resistance is attacking Coruscant." Finn looked surprisingly at Ben and Rey. "Ah yes, the stormtrooper has fear," Snoke said, not looking at him. "Your Resistance will fall. You had noticed the army being prepared. Not for this battle. Your presence here has made your General desperate, and she rushes to attack. My army will adequately defend this planet. But this army was originally intended to attack an unnamed planet in the Moddell sector."

Ben tried to maintain his calm, even though Snoke was referring to the hidden Resistance base.

"Now how did I know where the hidden base was?" Snoke goaded. "Irata?"

Rey stood still and emotionless this entire time. A bead of sweat dripped down her temple. Finn stared at her, but she would not look.

"Rey, what is he talking about?" Finn asked.

Rey did not answer. She took a half step toward Snoke and stopped a moment.

"Rey, you didn't?" Finn questioned.

Rey closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then walked toward Snoke. She took her place at his side. Finn looked crushed, his eyes wide and mouth half opened in shock. Ben remained calm.

"Betrayal." Snoke smiled. "A tool the two of you have not learned to handle well—and like I asked before, did you think that you would entertain a battle of Good versus Evil? As if true Evil would condescend to that."

With that, Snoke reached out his hand and touched the back of Rey's neck. Her eyes immediately turned red and yellow. "When one uses the rage of the dark side, they use my power. My will. Death is my will."

"The puppet does not know what it is," Ben said.

Snoke replied without emotion, "Neither did you." He reached out his hands toward the colonnade around them. The ground shook and the columns shed broken fragments of stone, having been weathered through the millennia. The lifeless bones began to quiver and shake. Disjointed bones snapped together and arose, quickened by the dark side. The skeletons of many different species rose, a green haze in the eyes of those with heads. A few with lightsabers attempted to light them; a smaller number effectively producing a red blade. There were at least forty that were complete enough to stand and approach Finn and Ben.

"My children. Kill the ordinary human," Snoke smiled on them. "And Irata, will you fail me again? As I had told you once before, kill Ben Solo."


	36. Episode IX: 15 What Ben Lost

Chapter 12

General Leia had mobilized the entire army and navy of the Resistance. Every system of the Western Reaches and the neighboring systems of the Outer Rim had given their support, including D'Qar, Sullust, Bespin, Javin, Ryloth, and Atravis. Refugees from Kashyyyk and Mon Calamari had also offered help, their planets having been recently subdued by the First Order.

The skies above Coruscant were filled with Resistance star cruisers, destroyers, and individual fighters pressing their attack into the planet. The First Order star destroyers and TIE fighters engaged them viciously. Although a space battle raged, the objective of the Resistance was to drop soldiers on the ground, and their forces bore down with that desperate intent. Thousands of transports carrying soldiers made their way to the surface, escorted by squadrons of X-Wing, B-Wing, and A-Wing fighters.

TIE fighter fire destroyed transport after transport as they descended, the First Order ships outnumbering the Resistance. At most, thirty percent of the transports pushed through the First Order line, and those barely avoided laser fire and exploding ships. Once in the atmosphere, they were not able to fly closer than a mile north of their desired target, the First Order Palace. The skies surrounding the palace were thick with TIEs, and surface-to-air turbolasers and First Order walkers protected the surface.

The transports found that they had to land deep in the narrow alleys to be protected from the surface fire. X-Wings maneuvered through the alleys and attempted to clear the way for the transports to deploy their soldiers. The transports landed, deployed, and then rose to allow another transport into the alley. Many of the transports and soldiers were easy targets for clone troopers already in the alleys. They gunned down soldiers before they had even exited the transports, firing at them as their door ramps opened. Occasionally an X-Wing dove in to bomb the attacking clones, while other X-Wings were shot down. The few contingents of men, Twi'leks, Wookiees, and other species that survived rushed down the alley toward the palace.

….

Rey charged at Ben, the dark side compelling her.

Seeing that Finn had no weapon, Ben quickly grabbed Anakin's lightsaber and tossed it to Finn. "Finn, catch!" He called out.

Finn caught the lightsaber and lit its blue blade, having wielded it once before. He began swinging wildly at the nearest corpses that approached. Their movement surprised Finn at how agile they were. One dodged Finn's attack, as it cowered in an animal-like crouch. He was able to slice another in half, the upper torso then attempting to walk on its hands. Finn kicked it and then cut it in half again, which seemed to stop its efforts to move. But more approached each moment.

Ben ignited his lightsaber just in time to guard against Rey's attack, but she was fast and used the bottom blade to swing for his knees. Ben leapt into the air with the Force about twenty feet. Rey reacted almost at the same moment to jump after him.

Ben, as he was rising in the jump made a downswing on Rey. She blocked and fell back to the ground, landing on her feet. At the apex of his leap, he jammed his lightsaber into a column, giving him enough resistance to gradually slide down as the lightsaber melted the rock. Rey reached with the Force to shake the column, and Ben released to come down on Rey with another attack.

Rey blocked his powerful blow aptly and angled her blade so that his slid off to her side as he landed. She then returned with a lunge as Ben took a step to regroup. Ben deflected it upward and made a long stride toward her to get a closer advantage. Rey then swung up with the opposite blade, but Ben caught her hand with his left, preventing her from finishing the attempt.

"The dark side makes you powerful," Ben said, tension rising on his face.

Rey gritted her teeth and tried to free her staff from his grip.

"But it also makes you reckless," Ben added.

Rey pushed him forward and vocalized a growl as she did. His hold was broken, and she began to whip her staff in repeated attacks: low, side, side, high, and again.

Ben blocked each attack, having to be twice as fast as Rey in order to defend.

Finn was on the defense as well. Another skeleton armed with a lightsaber made an attack on him, but Finn blocked the swing high and then made a counter-parry across. He cut the skeleton in half adding to a pile of writhing broken bones around him from other corpses he had sliced up.

Two more came from behind and grabbed each of his shoulders, digging their claw-like fingers into each side. Finn cried out in pain as their foul claws sank into his flesh. Another moved in quickly from his front to grapple at his chest, its pale green eyes aimed at him.

Finn kicked out in front of him to keep the approaching one at bay, as he reversed his blade and swung it under his arm to stab the corpse on his right shoulder. It loosened its grip just enough for Finn to swing the blade outward and twist it between two of the attackers. The hot blue blade burned the back of his tactical vest but did not cut into him. The one on his right shoulder fell away; but the corpse on his left arm still had a grip, its contaminated claws getting deeper into his muscle. Finn cried out in pain. He rammed his body into one of the massive columns, sandwiching the skeleton between him and the wall. The dry bones broke and cracked. The skeleton lost its grip and fell to the ground. Finn managed to keep more skeletons off of him, attacking wildly. But there were so many, and he was no Jedi with a lightsaber.

"I wish I had my blaster," Finn said to himself.

Ben had survived the relentless attacks from Rey. He maintained his calm and could sense her attacks coming. Rey's blows were substantial and physically taxed Ben, but he was able to sidestep many, preserving a bit of his strength.

"You are pulled between the dark and the light. I know. Even now, Rey, you can return to the light side." Ben urged her.

Rey continued to press him with beat attacks on his blade, and then lunges at him.

"Let go, Rey," Ben urged again.

That enraged her even more, her attacks becoming wilder, but Ben did not return the anger.

"I will never let go!" Rey yelled with defiant finality.

"Then all is lost. We may all die, but I at least can stop Snoke from using you as his weapon. I am sorry, Rey," Ben said. He parried her last attack, then stepped forward with a riposte, sliding his blade off hers in a lunging attack. Rey swiftly sidestepped with a spin. Ben kept the pressure on and attacked again. Rey stepped back and blocked again.

Ben's attacks became more rapid and precise. Rey struggled to block and continued to retreat. Ben stepped in and landed a glancing cut on her left leg. It was not deep, but Rey cried out at the cauterizing pain.

Rey looked in surprise at Ben's controlled attacks, this not being the same man she had fought in the past. She then turned to retreat and get a moment to regroup her strength. Ben lowered his blade and pursued. She gained half a second, but that was all she needed. Rey could feel the fury mounting again and turned sharply back to Ben, raising her hands, sparks snapping between her fingers for a moment then bursting from her fingertips, violently arching toward Ben.

He held up his lightsaber which then absorbed the lightning, its bright blue-white light disappearing into his yellow lightsaber. She clenched her teeth in anger as she leaned into the lightning trying to overpower him.

Ben, though, still remained calm and focused. He angled the lightsaber slightly toward her, and the lightning began to reflect back onto Rey.

She winced at first, trying to ignore the pain, but finally screamed out. Ben pressed the lightning further. She attempted to escape, but her body would not move.

Ben, focused on Rey, did not sense the impending doom that shuffled toward him. Behind Ben, a skeleton approached dragging one of its legs and having a red lightsaber raised high to slash Ben in the back. It came closer and was only a few steps from being able to make the attack, the ancient blade flickering on and off.

Rey grimaced and struggled to maintain consciousness. She caught a glimpse of the corpse raising its portentous lightsaber behind Ben and managed a smile.

Ben noticed the change in her expression and her gaze behind him. He let go of the lightning which disappeared immediately, and then he spun to meet the new foe.

Once turned to defend but found that he faced not the corpse but the back of Finn, the corpse on the ground cut into pieces.

Rey collapsed on the ground, panting and out of breath, her eyes still filled with the rage of the dark side.

Ben looked in shock at Finn and then at the pile of broken bones scattered around him. No skeletons remaining standing. Finn had defeated them all.

"That's right!" Finn said breathing heavy. "I did that!" He slapped his own chest. "I did _that_!"

Ben smiled at Finn. Finn nodded back.

Ben then turned his attention back on Rey. "Now we need to finish this."

He held up his yellow lightsaber to strike the death blow, but Finn cried out and stepped in between, holding the blue lightsaber ready to defend.

"Stop. You can't." Finn said.

"You don't understand. She will only cause more death and suffering. She cannot be brought back. She's lost," Ben replied.

"Like you were?" Finn asked. "But Luke let you live. Chewie and I carried you out of that star destroyer. Did you forget that?"

Ben squinted his eyes in thought. "Your hope in her is dangerous. She would just as soon kill you if she had the chance. I know the dark side; and she is under its power, under Snoke's power. The plan has failed, and she is no longer in control."

"All the more reason to give her a chance! She is not the enemy." Finn countered.

Rey managed to stand up behind Finn. She was weak.

Ben saw her and quickly pushed Finn aside with the Force. He raised his lightsaber to strike her, but his muscles tensed and locked. His eyes widened with fear as he realized that he did not have control of his body anymore. Stiff, he was raised up a few feet from the ground.

Snoke had his sickly pale arms stretched out toward him. Both Finn and Ben had forgotten his ever-present gaze.

"You are right, Ben Solo, there is no escape from my power. Not even for you." Snoke's empty eyes looked to Rey. "You have failed, Irata. I will deal with that later. Now kill the stormtrooper, if you can."

"Yes, Master," Rey said. She turned and walked up to Finn, who was just getting up from being thrown.

He looked up to see the black blade of Rey's lightsaber aimed at his neck, red fury still in her eyes. She raised the blade to take off Finn's head.

Finn's shoulders dropped and he took a deep breath in resignation. He threw his lightsaber down and fell to his knees. "Do it," he said. His face filled with compassion toward her.

Rey paused as if frozen. Like Ben, she felt that she couldn't move, another power restraining her. Her dark red eyes were suddenly confused.

"If I must die, then let it be this way," Finn said. "I love you, Rey. You remember that after you have killed me." He raised his voice a little. "Do you hear me?" He pleaded with his eyes. "Don't ever forget that I love you."

Rey's blade remained raised and still. She adjusted her grip and then adjusted it again, tension in her face. The red and yellow rage in her eyes faded for a second then returned. His words had reminded her of someone long ago, of another parting she had long forgotten. She closed her eyes tight and dropped her head. It was evident to Finn that an internal storm was raging; a tempest and a calm. Between waves of rage, there were moments of peace, but Finn was anxious which would consume the other.

Rey lowered her staff and fell to her knees, her teeth clenched; but the tension gradually faded. When she opened her eyes, the red rage was gone. Rey, now level with Finn, raised her head and looked directly at him, her eyes tired but soft.

She whispered, "Thank you. I couldn't come back." She dropped the staff to the ground. "Thank you."

Finn reached out and pulled her into his arms. She returned the embrace.

Snoke yelled out in wrath. "If my enemy, you want to be . . ." He reached out to the frozen Ben and narrowed his eyes on him. "Then I must use someone else." A wave of the dark side overtook Ben, as Snoke tried to bring the rage into him. Ben's head jerked back and his eyes flashed red, but Ben balanced himself with intense effort and pushed the dark side out, his eyes returning to normal. Ben then lowered his head and glared at Snoke with boldness and disapprobation.

"You may control my body, but you cannot control me, Snoke," Ben said triumphantly.

"Very well," Snoke replied. "I have something else for you."

He reached out both his hands, his bony fingers arched. Ben began to struggle more, trying to free himself from Snoke's grip.

"What!" Ben cried. "No! Stop!"

A very fine gray smoke began to come out of his ears. The mist was slight at first; then it started to come out of his eyes, his mouth, and his skin. Soon wisps of smoke were coming out from his entire body. He screamed. His desperate scream echoed through the hall.

"What is he doing?" Finn asked.

"I don't know," Rey said, but she got up as quickly as she could and reached with the Force toward one of the four-meter diameter columns. She closed her eyes and concentrated. The massive thirty-meter-tall column shuddered a moment, then tumbled over abruptly breaking into three pieces as it fell decisively on top of Snoke. Then a portion of the cave ceiling gave way. The fractured plaster and rocks crashed down on top of the place where Snoke was, creating a billowing cloud of dust. Snoke's hold on Ben was released.

Limping slightly on her left leg, Rey and Finn rushed to Ben. They crouched beside him. He had fallen and lay face down on the ground motionless. Finn rolled him over to see if he was alive. As he did, Ben moved his arms and grasped his head. He muttered something that Rey and Finn could not understand.

"It's okay, Ben," Finn said. "Are you hurt?"

Ben shook his head. "No," he said, but he was not answering Finn. "No, no, no." He kept shaking his head and speaking louder. He struggled to sit up, and pulled on his own hair with his fists and bent over his knees. "No!" He cried.

"What?" Rey asked. "What did Snoke do to you?"

"It's gone." He replied.

"What's gone?" Rey questioned.

Ben mumbled to himself. "Maz, I know it. I know what it was that you lost."

Finn asked again. "What is it, Ben?"

"The Force!" Ben cried out in despair. "It's gone!"


	37. Episode IX: 16 What Rey Lost

Chapter 13

General Mors stood resolutely in her command center at the top of a security tower on the north side of the palace. She watched as the Resistance transports tried to land soldiers in the alleys in front of them. Of the very few transports that were able to land, none survived the retreat.

A colonel scurried up to General Mors, and halted, waiting patiently for Mors to address him.

"Yes, Colonel Crous, give me the status," Mors ordered.

"The Resistance transports have been able to put an estimated three thousand soldiers in the alleys, working their way to the palace. The navy has successfully stopped any further transports from unloading."

"And the space front?" She questioned.

"Our defenses are holding. Only small fighters and the last of the transports have made it into the atmosphere. The surface cannons and our TIEs are keeping those under control. As I said, none of the remaining transports are able to reach the surface."

General Mors understood the situation and was pleased.

"Send AT-ST's, with ground assault and jet clone troopers into the alleys."

"Yes, General," he replied.

Mors picked up a cup of hot caf and took a sip, then placed it back on the console. She always drank caf during routine operations.

A contingent of clone troopers was dispatched into each alleyway along with two AT-ST's for each alley. The dual legged AT-ST's, like the larger AT-AT's, were also augmented from their old top-heavy models with two cannon-equipped, lean, forward arms to aid stabilization and firepower if needed.

Citizens of Coruscant rushed into the bars and pawn shops trying to escape the meteoric fire. Many found shelter in business basements, as they huddled in groups and shivered. However, the blasts from the AT-ST's as they fired down the alleys sometimes caused portions of these structures to collapse on the hiding people, their sanctuaries becoming their tombs.

The Resistance soldiers tried to advance with a desperate effort. If it had just been the ground assault clone troopers, the narrow alley would have nullified the First Order's numbers and evened the odds. However, the Resistance soldiers had to deal with AT-ST fire, which could be fired over the approaching clone troopers. Added to that, the jet troopers flew in above them, giving the First Order another advantage. A few of the transports had been able to drop mobile shield generators, which could protect an area with a radius of fifty feet. The generators aided protection from the AT-ST's and jet troopers, but the soldiers still had to exit the shield to fire.

Yet, in the end, the Resistance army was weakening quickly.

….

"What do you mean it's gone?" Rey quickly asked.

"I mean it is gone! I can't feel it!" Ben held out his hand to use the Force on a broken fragment of the column. He strained his muscles, clenched his teeth, and held his breath in the effort, but nothing happened.

"I can't use it!" he cried out, then composed himself. "I can't use it," he said again in a low and defeated voice. "It's the same thing that happened to Maz Kanata, the last time she and Yoda faced Snoke. She didn't say it, but I know."

"What?" Rey asked surprised, not knowing about that history.

"My grandfather mentioned that they had paid a great price, but I didn't think . . . " Ben's voice trailed off. With his thoughts directed to his grandfather, Ben was reminded of the reason they had come.

"The Sleeper," he said, shaking off his despair for the moment as he grasped onto a purpose. "We need to kill the Sleeper."

He got up to go, but Rey stopped him.

"You are in no condition to do that," she said.

"I have to," he replied. "I have to finish this. Don't take that from me. That's all I have left . . . it's all I have left of my destiny."

Rey looked at Ben, his eyes piercing her and imploring. She thought a moment and understood. "Then let's go," she said. Rey realized that she needed this, too.

They managed to climb around and over the debris from the fallen column and walk through the opened portcullis, its open mouth receiving them. The narrow path took them deeper into the stomach of the mountain, Ben and Finn lighting the way with their lightsabers. They came to the chasm with the two paths.

"To the right," Ben said.

"What's the other way?" Finn inquired.

"Ghosts," Rey said with finality, signaling that she was not going to speak more of that.

They walked single file down the path toward the dark passage and then further in and downward. The air became colder and damp until they finally arrived at a large domed room with a rounded pool full of black thick water.

"The pool is only shin-deep," Ben said. "But the Sleeper is in there."

Rey limped around the pool to the left and Ben to the right. Finn stood where he had entered.

"I can't call it out anymore," Ben said. "You need to, Rey."

"It will take the anger of dark side to lure it out to me," she said. "It's not safe for anyone if I do that."

"You have to. There is no other way," Ben said.

Rey shouldered her staff, looked at Finn, took a deep breath, and then held her hands toward the pool, feeling the pull of the dark side. She could sense the being in the pool, full of hatred and death. She allowed her anger to rise and lure the creature out. It responded reaching out to her with its own cruelty and malice and rose out of the pool.

A large, black form emerged from the slime, glistening as the thick, dark water oozed over it. The slime flowed down off its body, and it could be seen for a moment as if it had a hard shell and four tentacled arms. However, that form melted quickly into a human form, a man that had a hard and weathered face, dark brown hair with gray feathered sides. His eyes were black and soulless.

"Ren," Ben said.

Rey looked at the face of her dead father. She appeared to be unable to move, her own thoughts paralyzing her and the dark side confusing her with anger.

"Rey, my daughter," he said. "It has been so long." He reached his hand toward her as if to take her hand.

She was not deceived by the ruse, but withdrew back a bit, still trying to shake off the draw of the dark side.

The Sleeper felt the withdrawal. A red lightsaber ignited in Ren's hand, and he stepped toward her. However, his advance was stopped abruptly. A yellow blade suddenly appearing from his chest. The yellow lightsaber then retreated, and he looked down at the burning hole.

For a moment he staggered as though he would fall over, but then he turned around. Ben was standing there in front of him, his white-knuckled fists gripping the hilt of his shining lightsaber. Ren felt the wound on his chest and looked at Ben. "Stabbing someone in the back. That is not like a Jedi." Ren taunted.

"I am no Jedi," Ben replied.

"No, you are not," the Sleeper said and held out the red lightsaber. The opposite blade lit and the two blades began to spin around the knuckle guard. As the Sleeper advanced, Ben backed up out of the pool and to the wall.

Rey having regained composure, moved around the pool in order to aid Ben; but at that moment the room lit with a blue-white light. Finn screamed a deathly wail as his body was engulfed in blue lightning. He fell forward into the pool, writhing with every muscle contracted and every joint bent. Through the door walked Snoke, lighting blasting from his fingertips. Finn rolled into the center of the dark water, the lightning arcing through him into the water and back.

Rey, without thinking, jumped in between Finn and Snoke. She held her hands in front of her and surrendered to the Force. The lightning split around her, creating a wake that protected Finn. Finn, free from the lightning tried to crawl out of the pool, but still, a few stray arcs would shock him.

Snoke advanced on her, furrowing his brow in rage.

"You have chosen the wrong side, Irata." He blasted her with another powerful wave of electricity. She stepped back, as the wave crashed over her and split in a shower of lightning. He stepped nearer.

Ben backed up against the wall, the spinning red blades getting closer. He tried to stab his blade into them to stop the blades as he remembered Luke doing almost fifteen years ago, but the spinning was too powerful for him to overcome with sheer strength. Without the Force, his corporeal strength was all he had. The yellow blade bounced off the spinning red blades with such speed that it caused Ben to lose his balance and stumble to his right. He regrouped and looked for any advantage.

There was hardly any room now. He gripped his lightsaber with both hands and aimed for the only place that he could, Ren's hand at the center of the spinning blades.

The Sleeper went to lift his arm to avoid this attack, but it was too late. The tip of Ben's lightsaber missed the Sleeper's hand and broke the circular knuckle guard cutting the bottom blade head free and abruptly stopping the spinning. The bottom lightsaber fizzled out.

The Sleeper then attacked again with the single blood-red blade. Ben raised his lightsaber to block it. He was successful, but without the Force, it felt as if his body was slow and heavy, his reactions less efficient.

He counterattacked, trying to remember the dance of lightsaber fighting. The Sleeper blocked, but stepped back. Ben felt the familiar pattern of attack and swung again. The Sleeper again blocked and stepped back. Ben increased his swings and lunges, although he could never make any contact with the Sleeper; but he was not trying to make a direct strike on the Sleeper. He swung again with purpose. This time, the Sleeper tried to defend, but it stepped back into Snoke's lighting that had split over Rey.

The creature screamed out an unnatural cry, the blue electricity pulsing through it. Its form dropped the appearance of Ren, then returned to the shelled crustacean form for a moment, before melting into the black sludge and retreating into the pool.

Rey had been struggling to maintain her ground as Snoke approached, his lightning becoming stronger. Pulses of powerful waves came unpredictably almost causing her to fall back; but she leaned in, tensing all of her body. She became like an immovable rock in the rapids of a river. Snoke drew within one step of touching her. The power he emitted seemed to cost him no exertion at all. Rather, he appeared amused at Rey's attempt to stand against him, his sharp smile ornamenting his pale and gaunt face.

"You see, Irata. Surrendering is the way to death. Even if you surrender to the Force. You will soon die, but I will remain."

It was at that moment that Ben had backed up the Sleeper into Snoke's lightning.

Snoke's countenance changed, recognizing what happened. His eyes widened and mouth dropped.

Rey quickly stepped forward and grabbed Snoke's wrists. The lightning stopped, but the dark side from his touch pushed into Rey. Her face filled with anger, but no red rage came to her.

Snoke noticed that she did not succumb to the dark rage.

"You resist me," he smiled. "Very well."

Snoke closed his eyes. Rey began to feel fear as she realized what he was doing. She tried to let go, but could not. A wisp of smoke began to come from her ears. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate, but it was no use. Smoke started to come from her eyes.

But that was it, what little smoke escaped from her dissipated. Ben had approached from behind and grabbed Snoke by his temples, and something he was doing had broken Snoke's focus. "You may have taken most of the Force from me. But you can't take it all," Ben said through his gritted teeth. "This is from Maz Kanata!"

Green light began to glow from under Ben's hands as he allowed his life force to flow into Snoke. Snoke, being purely of the dark side, cried out in fear as he realized what was happening. He tried to escape, but Rey subdued him with the Force as well, shackling him as he had done to her. The light from under Ben's hands grew brighter, and Snoke's color grew even paler.

Rey perceived what Ben was doing. She closed her eyes and her hands began glowing green as she imitated him. Snoke screamed out, his dark soul not able to stand the invasion into his body.

Ben and Rey did not relent. Snoke's eyes began to glow, the intensity getting brighter and brighter. He writhed and struggled between them, but his strength was never in his weak decrepit body. It was the dark side that made him powerful, and that was being pushed out of him.

His soul searched desperately for an escape from the body and rushed out into the pool beneath. The remaining shell of a body went limp. Rey and Ben continued, their Force following Snoke into the pool. The water beneath their feet began to glow the same dull green and moved outward toward the edges of the pool, the black water fleeing and boiling as if in anger. The light from the pool became so bright that the whole room appeared to be bathed in sunlight.

Snoke's spirit lost its hold on the pool, as the pool was caught up in the Force. It passed to the edge where finally Snoke was overcome, his soul dissolving irrevocably into the Life Force.

Ben and Rey both fell into the pool, now filled with clear and glowing water, the ripples they made reflecting off the ceiling of the domed room. Rey gasped and rose quickly, rushing to Finn. He was not moving. Burn marks covered his skin and clothes. She leaned over him and felt his face and head.

"Finn," she said, fearing the worst. "Wake up." He squinted weakly and opened his eyes. "Finn!" She cried out.

"Rey," Finn said in a low voice. "Did we. . . win?"

"Yes! Yes!" Rey said. "Now we have to get you out of here. You need a medical droid."

"And Ben?" Finn asked.

"Yes, he's okay. Let's go." She tried to lift him, but he cried out in pain. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She said gently letting him back down.

Finn's face became sad as he realized what was happening. "I'm dying, Rey."

"No, you're not," Rey said sternly. This time trying more carefully to lift him.

"Rey, stop," Finn said. "You and I have seen people die . . . You know . . . I'll be dead before you carry me up there."

Rey's eyes welled with tears.

Finn knowing what she would be thinking said, "This is not your fault, Rey. You fought well, and you returned."

She stared at him. "You brought me back," she said. "I couldn't have returned without you."

Finn smiled. "There was always good in you."

Rey's tears began to flow freely. "Don't leave me. Please. Don't leave me." Finn managed to lift his hand to touch her face. She cupped it with her own hand. Rey was a four-year-old girl again, crying the words it had taken her fifteen years to find. "Don't leave me," she whispered. "I love you."

"I know," Finn replied.

With that she leaned over and kissed him, their tears mixing as they fell. He held her as best he could; and she cradled his head, their kiss not tainted with fear anymore, but broken with sobs.

His hand fell away. She bent over his body and cried.


	38. Episode IX: 17 Kylo and Irata's Last Act

Chapter 14

There was an explosion on the southern face of the palace. The door that Rey, Ben, and Finn had entered into exploded outward, clearing the debris from Poe's barrage. Rey, her hand stretched out, had used the Force to make an opening for them to exit. She limped into the walkway, followed by the soldiers, BB-8, and Ben who was carrying Finn.

There were open craters and destroyed TIEs scattered over the terrain. Poe's walker was still standing and firing at more TIEs and clone transports.

Sayah, the injured soldier called Poe on the transceiver. "I thought you were going to surrender."

"I did," Poe replied. "They didn't accept it. Lucky for us, the armor on this thing is stronger than they even bargained for. Where's Finn?"

"He . . . he didn't make it," Sayah answered. Poe did not reply.

"Can you lower that thing so we can board? We need to get out of here." Sayah called.

"Yeah, but from the look of things, there won't be anywhere to _get out of here_ to. The Resistance is looking finished."

The walker began to descend, its legs folding on themselves. The rear door opened; and the soldiers rushed in, one of them carrying another body wrapped in a dark cloak, TIE blasts creating more craters around them. The dirt and rubble from the impacts rained down on the last of the fleeing soldiers but did little to harm them.

Poe had left the driver's seat to open the back door, while Riven and Silas continued to man the cannons. The entering soldiers moved past him, but he looked at Ben. Ben entered carrying Finn. Poe had no words. He walked up and put his hand on Finn's chest. He appeared as if he was going to say something but then tensed his lips.

Rey put her hand on his shoulder. He bowed his head. Then Poe lifted his head and in a low voice muttered, "This has broken you, brother, but it just might make you the greatest captain in the galaxy." He looked at Rey and Ben and through gritted teeth said, "There is a command center on the north side of the palace. If I get you there, can you two end this?"

….

General Mors looked out over the battle, even now the skies were thinning of fighters. The battle was progressing predictably toward a First Order victory.

The alleys were successfully guarded, the skies were under control, and in space, many of the Resistance cruisers and destroyers were already obliterated.

"So much for the last Resistance," Mors said to herself as she took another sip or her hot caf.

Colonel Crous rushed in, pregnant with anxiety. "General Mors, you have orders to surrender."

General Mors continued to watch the battle while she addressed him. "Supreme Leader Snoke has given me no such order."

"This is not from Supreme Leader Snoke, General," Crous said.

"The Resistance? When have we ever submitted to them?"

"No, General, not the Resistance . . . but to them."

General Mors turned around.

A body was thrown on the ground in front of her; Snoke's body. Standing over it Rey and Ben stood, their lightsabers ignited.

"By the orders of Darth Irata and Kylo Ren, stand your troops down," Rey said, using the names she knew the general would respond to. Behind them through the doorway, General Mors could see dozens of clone troopers on the ground, dead or injured. Another dozen clone troopers, having seen the dead Snoke and the determined Darth Irata had filed in behind Rey and Ben.

General Mors swallowed hard, put down her cup of hot caf, and then nodded her head. "As you wish. Give the order for all forces to stand down."


	39. Episode IX: 18 What They Regained

Chapter 15

The rain continued to fall on the glade of Kaller. A great funeral pyre blazed, too strong for the rain to overcome. Luke knelt beside R2-D2. They watched as the bodies of Luke's Padawans burned.

"This was all my fault, R2. My anger . . . my fear . . . If I had been here . . . instead of searching for the temple and . . . running away."

R2 whistled and beeped.

"Thanks, my friend. But it is true, and now we can't stay here."

R2 whined.

"No, we are not going to Jakuu. I am a danger to her. Ben will be hunting me now. It is best he never finds her."

R2 beeped again.

"You will go back to Leia."

R2 whined.

"No, I'm not going. I'm sorry. But I have locked a map in your databanks to where I will be. If ever Rey finds you, that map will lead her to me. I will train her. It is a promise I must try to keep, for her mother's sake."

R2 beeped and whistled.

"Yes, R2, I am sure we will see each other again. There is hope for that, I am sure. But not the kind of hope we will expect."

He put his right hand on R2 and bowed his head.

"I'm going to miss you, old friend."

The rain poured down.

….

The mountainous island on Ahch-To where the Jedi temple was, stood dark and still in the night, a small fire burning close to the summit.

Rey, Ben, Maz Kanata, and Yoda looked on as Finn's body burned in the pyre.

"A fitting place this is, to lay a friend of the Jedi to rest," Yoda said.

There was silence. Ben walked up to the fire with mournful reflection, Anakin's lightsaber in his hands. He gripped it tightly and stared at the flames. Raising the lightsaber hilt to his face, he closed his eyes and whispered something no one could hear, and then cast the unlit lightsaber onto Finn's body.

Then Rey spoke up. "But we are not Jedi."

"What a Jedi is, a good question for another time," Yoda replied. "But a Jedi, you are."

"And what does that mean?" Rey asked despondently.

"There is peace in the galaxy," Maz said. "A new senate is being formed, and those that seek the light are safe. You were a part of that."

"But it won't last," Ben said.

"No," Maz answered. "It will not."

"Make a way, we must, for others to stand against the dark side. For return it will," Yoda said.

"And how do we do that?" Ben asked.

"Teach the ways of the Force," Maz said.

"Yes," Yoda ascented. "A new Jedi council, we are."

"I can't," Rey said looking at the funeral pyre. "I can't stay here."

Maz came over to her and touched her hand. "Rey, look around you."

Rey withdrew her hand and turned to look at the three of them. She knew what Ben had been through, the evil and the good. Yoda, both young and old, was strong in the Force, but had suffered much; and Rey could sense that. Maz, forever separated from the Force the same as Ben, looked at her with gentle eyes.

Rey despondently turned away from her gaze to the darkness beyond the fire, Maz's affectionate gaze scaring her and reminding her of the things she had lost. Rey did not speak for a moment but stared into the shadowy void. Then she saw them; two dim blue figures not far beyond the fire. The first she recognized, her eyes widening. It was Luke, standing firm and proud; and the second though she had never seen him, she knew to be his father. They appeared to be the same age, youthful and full of life. Luke's father looked with benevolent affection on Ben, though Ben could not see it. Luke, however, looked directly at Rey. She bit her lip and felt a pang of shame rise in her. But Luke nodded to her and smiled, his face full of pride and love.

"This is where you belong, dear," Maz said.

Rey, wiped a solitary tear from her eye, nodded, and took Maz's hand. "I know," Rey said softly, a very small seed of joy developing in her soul. She held Maz's hand tight, and the corner of Rey's mouth turned up in an almost hidden smile.

* * *

 **I hope you have enjoyed the Dark Jedi series. It has been a joy to write. As many of you know, writing is an emotional endeavor and can bring the author to great lows and highs. It is sad for me to close this chapter and say goodbye to these characters, but as with life, we all must turn a new page. Thank you so much for reading. And for those of you that have stuck with it from the beginning, thank you ten times over. I hope it was fulfilling for you, as I know you invested a lot of time to read it. And thank you so much to SaphireAlena for her beta editing. If you liked mine, you should check out her New Republic series.**

 **As always please Review. If you have questions about why I did what I did, please visit riseofthedarkjedi on facebook, where I have a link to the original google docs. I answer some of the most common questions at the end of each. This novella is not meant to be a prediction for the future movies; I only wanted to come up with really satisfying sequels. I will leave it for you to judge.**


	40. Episode IX: Epilogue

**For readers that enjoy reading the first and last chapters of a story in order to evaluate if it's worth the effort: Know that my epilogues are akin to "extra-credit scenes" and without reading the novella, the epilogues will not make much sense, as they set up sequels.**

 **Another comment about First and Last chapter reading: That will work very well in fanfiction stories that wander without purpose. This is not that kind of story. It is a methodical narrative with a definite three act format. I try to avoid wasted narratives and hence I strive to eliminate fluff chapters.**

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Epilogue

The moon, Nar Shaddaa, was a hotbed of criminal activity and black market deals. It was not accidental that its nickname was "the Smuggler's Moon." Almost everyone that lived there was familiar with secret deals and security payoffs to the all-powerful criminal syndicates.

Donal was no different. He was a Trandoshan that made his living as a mechanic at a meager shop within Hutta Town. The ruling Hutt had allowed him to own a shop here; a benevolent favor not many had received.

Donal was crouched on top of an SS-64 assault craft, its port dorsal wing stabilizer compartment open. Wearing goggles, he worked tirelessly at a stubborn bolt with a wrench. Suddenly, a burst of steam and oil erupted in his face, sending his guttural screams through the musty air.

"Ahh!" he screamed. "No, droid!"

A trembling repair droid emerged timidly from underneath the assault craft. It was holding a compressor chip in its metal claw.

Donal leapt off the top of the ship and removed his goggles. He crouched down and stared with animalistic fury at the repair droid. His reptilian face was already turning red from the burn.

"This," Donal growled and took the chip, "goes there!" He pointed to the other side of the ship where an open compartment on the forward hull was. "Do that again, and I will make you a permanent part of this ship!"

A dug laughed to himself as he walked on his forelimbs, pushing a cart with an Ax-108 cannon toward the ship.

"Donal," a man's voice called out from behind the counter in the front of the shop.

Donal stood up eagerly and attempted to wipe the hot oil from his face with another oilier rag. He looked to the front counter to see who it was. The man was a clean shaven, medium build man and probably in his sixties. Donal recognized him and smiled to himself at his good fortune.

"Oh, yes," Donal called out and approached him. "You were the one that wanted that sublight drive."

"Did you get it?" the man asked.

Donal strode over to the man with a confident swagger. "You know, instead of fixing whatever you are working on, could I interest you in a dual engine assault craft? Just got one from a couple of months ago. It's called the Vigilance, and it's a beauty." He gestured to the ship behind him.

The man looked behind Donal. "I recognize that ship. The First Order was looking for that awhile back. Not that it matters anymore."

Donal laughed to himself. "Yeah, found a tracker on it when it came in. A good bit of work getting that out before the First Order arrived. Threw the thing on a freighter to Dantooine." He laughed again. "That'll be the most interesting thing to ever happen on Dantooine. So you interested?"

"No," the man replied flatly, "how much for the sublight drive?"

Donal looked disappointed. "One hundred thousand."

Without a moment of thought, the man replied, "sixty."

"What!" Donal feigned offense, knowing the ritual of bartering. "No one is looking for those sublight drives anymore. They are incredibly rare. Griodyne hasn't made that model in over sixty years. And it took a good amount of work to find one. I can only go as low as ninety."

"Sixty." The response was firm and unemotional.

Donal was now really offended. "Listen Bub." Donal leaned onto the table and looked the man straight in the eyes. "I know who you are. Or did you think, I wouldn't find out . . . Boba? And I know for a fact that you can afford ninety!"

Boba Fett laughed now. "You know who I am. So you ought to know that you won't get one credit more than sixty thousand." He slammed sixty thousand credits on the table. "You paid fifty for that drive. I think you can be happy turning a ten thousand profit. Or you can try to sell it to all those customers that are pouring in to buy a sixty-year-old drive."

Donal rubbed his chin and thought. He tried a new tactic. "You know, as I was asking around for that drive, I turned a few heads. Some people are interested in what you would be doing with such an antique. The Keeper was very curious." He paused to let the idea affect Boba. "You see, there is only one Corellian freighter that would be worth putting that drive into. And I know you aren't running with the Ghost crew anymore. So that freighter you're working on is worth more than what you got from the Resistance, I'm told. I'm sure you wouldn't want the Keeper to be on your tail."

Boba replied without a second thought. "Thanks for the warning, but let me offer you some advice, friend. Now that the First Order is gone, I have heard that the new Senate is interested in dealing with the criminal syndicates here on the Smuggler's Moon. I've heard that they have payrolled some business owners in Hutta Town to snitch on the Hutt clan: hotel managers, grocers, dealers . . . shopkeepers." Boba stared down Donal. "Be careful who you deal with. It would be very hard on those shopkeepers if the Hutt clan found out they were spying for the Senate." Boba pushed the credits toward Donal. "It was very fortunate that I chose you to do business with, don't you think? Almost as if I planned it."

Donal understood the threat and deflated. "Fortunate for you," he replied. "Sixty, it is."

He swiped the credits off the counter. "Don't be surprised if the Keeper puts a bounty on you for that ship."

"That's nothing I haven't dealt with before," Boba countered. He thought of something. "I've changed my mind about the credits, Donal." He tossed one more credit on the counter. "Have your droid load that drive onto my speeder out back."

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 **Thanks for reading. The Boba Fett spin-off novella is now posted. Please check out** **Dark Bounty** **. And your reviews are appreciated!**


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